G/TBT/N/AUS/122  
25 August 2020  
(20-5756) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  AUSTRALIA   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if di fferent from above:   
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade  
Email: tbt.enquiry@dfat.gov.au  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Hand 
sanitisers and rubs containing alcohol available commercially for consumer use; 
ESSENTIAL OILS AND RESINOIDS; PERFUMERY, COSMETIC OR TOILET PREPARATIONS 
(HS 33); SOAP, ORGANIC SURFACE -ACTIVE AGENTS, WASHING PREPARATIONS, 
LUBRICATING PREPARATIONS, ARTIFICIAL WAXES, PREPARED WAXES, POLISHING OR 
SCOURING PREPARATIONS, CANDLES AND SIMILAR ARTICLES, MODELLING PASTES, 
'DENTAL WAXES' AND DENTA L PREPARATIONS WITH A BASIS OF PLASTER (HS 34)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Consumer 
Goods (Cosmetics) Information Standard 2020 (12 pages) (12 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  The ACCC is reviewing t he Trade Practices (Consumer Product 
Information Standards) (Cosmetics) Regulations 1991 (the information standard). The 
information standard requires that products supplied as cosmetics provide, either on the 
packaging or the cosmetics container, a list o f ingredients contained in the product in 
descending order by volume or mass. This list allows consumers to make informed choices 
about the contents of the product to ensure safe use.  
Hand sanitisers and rubs are categorised as cosmetics under the informat ion standard. 
Hand sanitisers and rubs containing alcohol are only effective in getting rid if bacteria and 
microorganisms if they contain a minimum of 60% alcohol. Currently there are no 
mandatory requirements for suppliers to list the alcohol content of the product. In addition 
as these alcohol based products have certain safety risks due to their potential 
flammability and ingestion or use hazards (especially for children), warnings relating to 
these safety issues are considered desirable.  
These additional requirements will not apply to hand sanitisers made to the World Health 
Organisation formula, or where the hand sanitiser is classed as a therapeutic good by the 
Therapeutic Goods Administration, or to a hand sanitiser which does not contain alc ohol. 
The new legislative instrument will amend the information standard and include 
requirements for information on alcohol content and usage warnings.  G/TBT/N/AUS/122  
 
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  7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  The proposed rev ision to the information standard will provide consumers 
with more information on both the likely effectiveness of alcohol based hand sanitisers 
and rubs and the safe use and storage of these products.; Consumer information, 
labelling; Prevention of decept ive practices and consumer protection; Protection of human 
health or safety  
8. Relevant documents:   
The draft standard is attached and available from tbt.enquiry@dfat.gov.au . 
9. Proposed date of adoption:  TBC - anticipate November 2020  
Proposed date of entry into force:  The instrument will commence the day after it is 
registered. The instrument applies to cosmetic products if the manufacture or importation 
occurs 90 days after the commencement of the instrument.  
10. Final date for comments:  60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
WTO TBT Enquiry Point  
The Director  
Goods and Government Procurement Section  
Office of Trade Negotiations  
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade  
Canberra A.C.T  
0221 
Tel: + (61 2) 6261 1111  
+ (61 2) 6261 3111 (Fax)  
tbt.enquiry@dfat.gov.au  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/TBT/AUS/20_5038_00_e.pdf