Sue Bradford
Government Spokesperson for Buy Kiwi Made
4 December 2007 Media Statement
Tourists should not be hoodwinked by labelling
Tourism retailers have been urged to check the adequacy of souvenir labels that suggest items manufactured offshore are
Kiwi made.
“Recently I have seen several shirts for sale in the tourism retail sector that I would consider to have inadequate and
potentially misleading labelling,” says Sue Bradford, Government Spokesperson for Buy Kiwi Made.
Research shows most domestic consumers are prepared to pay a price premium for New Zealand made goods. It is likely that
tourists are similarly prepared to pay a price premium for items they believe are genuinely made in New Zealand. For the
tourism industry to retain its credibility it needs to ensure that all souvenirs are clearly labelled, Ms Bradford says.
The Fair Trading Act and case law together set out requirements for country of origin labelling: an average consumer
should be able to work out a country of origin without being misled through use of symbols such as flags, kiwis,
national emblems or hidden and obscured country of origin labels.
The Commerce Commission successfully prosecuted two souvenir retailers for breaching the Act in 2002 and has reached out
of court settlements with other retailers to accurately label their garments.
“Retailers should check their stocks now for any labelling that suggests, to the consumer, that a product is made in New
Zealand when it isn’t,” she says.
Ms Bradford says that practices such as stitching through the country of origin on a label, or prominent use of the kiwi
or silver fern to represent New Zealand would be referred to the Commerce Commission where they occurred. “Buy Kiwi Made
is not anti-importer, but we don’t want a situation where imported goods are mistaken for New Zealand made goods and
unfairly disadvantage New Zealand manufacturers.”
ENDS