Guidelines on country of origin claims made by the complementary health care industry have been issued by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
"The ACCC has worked with the industry to review Australian origin claims on products of manufacturers and other suppliers in the complementary health care and related industries in Australia," Acting ACCC Chairman, Mr Rod Shogren, said today.
"The review followed ACCC inquiries about products of a number of companies in the industry that are labelled as Australian-made.
"The working party has produced Guidelines designed to meet the country of origin requirements of the Trade Practices Act 1974.
"There was extensive public consultation, including a major round table with industry and government representatives. The ACCC has taken the view that, despite some legal opinion to the contrary, substantial transformation occurs when imported ingredients are subjected to manufacturing processes like encapsulation or tableting in Australia.
"Subject to such products also meeting the requirement for at least 50 per cent local content, manufacturers may claim they are 'Made in Australia'.
"The Guidelines will go a long way to providing the certainty sought by the industry on labelling and advertising claims. They will also assist businesses in both their export effort, as many overseas countries place considerable value on therapeutic goods which are labelled 'Made in Australia', and capital investment decisions to upgrade or expand their local manufacturing capacity and level of employment".
"The ACCC has worked with the industry to review Australian origin claims on products of manufacturers and other suppliers in the complementary health care and related industries in Australia," Acting ACCC Chairman, Mr Rod Shogren, said today.
"The review followed ACCC inquiries about products of a number of companies in the industry that are labelled as Australian-made.
"The working party has produced Guidelines designed to meet the country of origin requirements of the Trade Practices Act 1974.
"There was extensive public consultation, including a major round table with industry and government representatives. The ACCC has taken the view that, despite some legal opinion to the contrary, substantial transformation occurs when imported ingredients are subjected to manufacturing processes like encapsulation or tableting in Australia.
"Subject to such products also meeting the requirement for at least 50 per cent local content, manufacturers may claim they are 'Made in Australia'.
"The Guidelines will go a long way to providing the certainty sought by the industry on labelling and advertising claims. They will also assist businesses in both their export effort, as many overseas countries place considerable value on therapeutic goods which are labelled 'Made in Australia', and capital investment decisions to upgrade or expand their local manufacturing capacity and level of employment".