Australian Made logo now protected in Hong Kong

The Australian Made Campaign is thrilled to announce the famous green-and-gold kangaroo Australian Made, Australian Grown (AMAG) logo is now a registered trademark in Hong Kong, officially known as the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. 

This means that for the first time ever Australian exporters have a registered symbol that can be used on locally made or grown exports into Hong Kong, which both establishes products as genuinely Australian and is legally protected under Hong Kong law.

According to Austrade, Australia exported A$11,391 million worth of merchandise to Hong Kong during the 2017-18 financial year, making it Australia's sixth most important destination for merchandise exports.

“Almost half of all our licensees use the Australian Made logo on exported products. The formal registration of the logo in Hong Kong provides an essential legal framework which exporters can rely upon if the logo is copied or used without proper authority,” Australian Made Chief Executive Ben Lazzaro, said.

“Hong Kong presents a huge opportunity for Aussie makers and growers, especially with the recently signed  Australia-Hong Kong Free Trade Agreement, and we’re proud to help our nation’s exporters leverage this growing market.”

Australia and Hong Kong signed the Australia-Hong Kong Free Trade Agreement (A-HKFTA) and the associated Investment Agreement on 26 March 2019, marking a significant milestone in an already substantial trade and investment relationship.

Austrade’s Hong Kong Senior Trade Commissioner, Mr Sam Guthrie, said, “We are delighted to see the Australian Made logo recognised as a trademark in Hong Kong.  This important mark provides consumers with the reassurance they are buying a product with the clean, green, quality characteristics that trusted Australian provenance guarantees.

The Australian Made logo is already being used on many products available at retail level in Hong Kong. Local consumers value Australia as a preferred country of origin for safe, green and clean products. Trade buyers are also approaching our Austrade team to look for products with recognisable logos of Australian authenticity. The logo effectively delivers Australia’s capabilities in premium products to consumers, which contributes to the sustainable development of Australian exports to this region.”

The logo registration work was carried out by Australian Made Campaign Partner Wrays, Australia’s largest independent intellectual property specialist firm, and covers 10 classes (Classes 3, 5, 20, 25, 29-33 and 35).

These classes extend to a wide range of products, which include:

• 3 – cleaning products, soaps, toiletries, cosmetics
• 5 – pharmaceuticals, veterinary pharmaceuticals, infant formula, baby products
• 20 – furniture
• 25 – clothing and footwear
• 29-33 – food and beverages, including alcoholic
• 35 – retail services

The formal registration of the AMAG logo in Hong Kong builds on its registration in other key export markets, including the USA, China, Singapore, Korea and India where it is recognised as Australia’s mark of authenticity.

To find out more about applying to use the AMAG logo visit: www.australianmade.com.au.