Understanding claims about country of origin
Mandatory seafood labels are coming
From 1 July 2026, hospitality businesses—including restaurants, cafes and pubs—will need to know and explain where the seafood they sell comes from.
Menus and signage will have to show the country of origin of dishes containing seafood that are sold for immediate consumption.
The label must use the letters A, I and M (AIM), where 'A' is for Australian, 'I' is for imported and 'M' is for mixed country of origin.
Learn more about the new seafood label requirements.
Businesses must not make false or misleading claims about where goods were made, produced, grown or packaged.
A country-of-origin claim can be made in text (e.g. 'Made in Australia', 'Product of Thailand', 'Grown in New Zealand') and images.
It can be attached to the goods (e.g. on a label) or in promotional material linked to the goods. For example, a t-shirt with a 'Made in Australia' label is claiming the country of origin is Australia.
Text or images on goods are not automatically claims about country of origin. For example, a t-shirt with the word 'Australia' in its design is not claiming the country of origin is Australia.
Businesses must meet the following standards when making claims about country of origin.
'Made in' statements
When a business includes a 'made in' or 'manufactured in' statement on goods, they are claiming that:
- the last significant step in making the product happened in that country
- work in that country substantially changed what the goods look like or do.
The 'Made in Australia' logo is an example of a ‘made in’ statement.
'Product of' statements
When a business includes a 'product of' statement (sometimes 'produce of' or 'produced in'), they are claiming that:
- almost all production or manufacturing happened in that country
- all of the significant parts or ingredients came from that country.
'Grown in' statements
A business using a 'grown in' statement is claiming that:
- all the significant components of the product were grown in that country
- almost all the processing happened in that country.
Use of the Australian Made, Australian Grown logo
Use of the Australian Made, Australian Grown (AMAG) logo, featuring a yellow kangaroo in a green triangle, indicates the product was made, grown or produced in Australia.
A product's origin must be certified as Australian before the AMAG logo can be used.
More information
- Learn more about country of origin claims on the ACCC website.
- Learn how to read country of origin labels for food products.
- Read more about how businesses must avoid misleading customers.