Manufacturers of complementary medicines which meet local manufacturing requirements will be able to affix the Australian Made logo to their products.
In an announcement made on December 18, Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, Karen Andrews, highlighted that the interim measure, agreed upon with the states, will allow for growth in the industry.
“We listened to the sector and the public to understand what would be best for all stakeholders and that’s seen us bring in this interim measure,” she said.
“This will allow the local industry to continue to expand our $1 billion plus export market for complementary medicines, securing jobs into the future.”
The Minister noted that the Australian Competition and Consumer Act will be updated to permanently allow the green and gold kangaroo to be displayed on complementary medicines. Manufacturers must include a bar chart demonstrating the proportion of local ingredients used.
Country of origin claims are voluntary for complementary medicines manufacturers. Clarifying the requirements could enable further growth in the sector, said Assistant Treasurer, Michael Sukkar.
“Sensible refining of our country of origin labelling framework will allow the Australian public to continue to have confidence in supporting local businesses and allow those businesses to grow their exports overseas,” he said.