Australian Made encouraged by complementary health development

The Australian Made Campaign Ltd (AMCL) has welcomed today’s announcement from the Federal Government outlining its intention to provide Australian complementary health product manufacturers with continued access to the ‘made in Australia’ claim.

The proposal would see complementary medicines manufactured in Australian production facilities regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) qualify to carry a ‘made in Australia’ claim and the Australian Made logo.

The proposed way forward is a result of the findings from a Government taskforce which reviewed the impact of changes to the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) made in 2017, on the complementary health sector. These ACL changes and the subsequent introduction of ACCC guidelines in 2018, left many complementary healthcare producers unable to claim their products were made in Australia, or carry the Australian Made logo.

According to Australian Made Chief Executive, Ben Lazzaro, the Government’s proposal represents a common sense way forward that will ultimately allow Australia’s complementary health sector to continue to thrive. However, further clarification is urgently required.

AMCL looks forward to seeing the details associated with the proposed changes, how they will be given effect and in what timeframe.

“Presumably, the proposed changes will be addressed via regulation,” said Mr Lazzaro.

“This can be a time-consuming process further complicated by the impending federal election, and the disruption associated with it. While Government goes into ‘caretaker mode’ in the lead-up to an election, manufacturers do not—they need clarity now.”

Australia’s complementary health sector is a manufacturing success story with an unparalleled reputation for producing high-quality, safe products that are in high demand the world over.

“It’s important that we foster a manufacturing environment that encourages and assists manufacturers to continue to build on this success,” said Mr Lazzaro.

“We look forward to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to help deliver improved clarity around country of origin claims within the complementary health sector.”

The Australian Made Campaign Ltd is the not-for-profit organisation that administers and promotes Australia’s green-and-gold ‘Australian Made, Australian Grown’ logo. Companies wishing to use the Australian Made logo on their products must be licensed by AMCL.