G/TBT/N/AUS/100/Add.2  
 
7 March 2017  
(17-1343) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
Addendum  
The following communication, dated 6 March 2017, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation  of Australia .  
 
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The Australian Government has recently passed legislation that will make it easier for businesses 
to determine the appropriate country of origin claims for their products, including when the use of 
the terms "Made in" and "Packed in" can be used in conformity with the legislation. The legislation 
implements the draft proposal for Country of Origin Labe lling included in the notification to the 
WTO and trading partners in December 2015 (G/TBT/N/AUS/100).  
This legislation complements the country of origin labelling information standard 
(G/TBT/N/AUS/100/Add.1), which commenced on 1 July 2016.  
The Competitio n and Consumer Amendment (Country of Origin) Act 2017 (the Act), simplifies the 
automatic defence provisions for "Made in" claims for all products (not just food) by removing the 
complex  50 per cent local production cost test and clarifying what substantia l transformation 
means. The Act also introduces an automatic defence for goods labelled with marks required or 
permitted by relevant Information Standards, like the Country of Origin Food Labelling Information 
Standard 2016. The changes contained in the Ac t will reduce regulatory burden across all industry.  
There will be minimal impact on goods imported into Australia. It will be clearer to all businesses 
selling imported goods in Australia when a "Made in" or "Packed in" origin statement would be 
appropria te. Those selling imported foods will also be able to label their products with the marks 
required or permitted by the country of origin food labelling standard with greater confidence, 
knowing that they will be safe from any allegations that their origin claims are false or misleading.  
Australia will continue to use a risk -based compliance and enforcement scheme for imported food 
at the border, including country of origin labelling requirements.  
 
The full text of the adopted measure can be downloaded from the Competition and Consumer 
(Country of Origin) Act 2017 is available from:  
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2017A00005  
 
Further information:  
A fact sheet for international trading  partners on Australia's country of origin labelling 
requirements  is available  from:  http://www.industry.gov.au/ industry /IndustrySectors/FoodManufa
cturingIndustry/Documents/Country -of-Origin -Food-Labelling -Trading -Partners -Factsheet.pdf  
General information on Australia's country of origin requirements can be found 
at: http://www.business.gov.au/business -topics/selling -products -and-services/selling -
products/Country -of-origin -food-labelling  G/TBT/N/AUS/100/Add.2  
 
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  http://www.foodlabels.industry.gov.au/  
http://www.industry.gov.au/industry/IndustrySectors/FoodManufacturingIndustry/Pages/Country -
of-Origin -Labelling.aspx  
 
Or requested in  hard copy from:  
The Australian Government Department of Industry, Innovation and Science  
Portfolio Strategic Policy Division  
PO Box 9839  
Canberra, ACT, 2601  
Australia  
Telephone:  +61 2 6276 1085  
Facsimile:  +61 2 6213 761  
E-mail: originlabelling@industry.gov.au  
 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2016/TBT/AUS/16_2541_01_e.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2016/TBT/AUS/16_2541_00_e.pdf   
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