You rarely need a new box for Australia. Keep the design, and change the information on it: the safety warnings your product's standard requires, in English; the quantity marking, on the front and big enough to read; any claim you cannot prove; and the country of origin, if you show it, stated plainly. Fix these four before the first shipment, because reprinting later costs more.
Do overseas brands need new packaging to sell in Australia?
Usually not. The packaging and labelling requirements in Australia are about what the box says, not how it looks.
business.gov.au sums up the rule for labels in one line: what you include depends on the product, but it must be truthful, clear and accurate. There is no single national label template for toys, baby products or homewares. Your colours, photos and brand story can stay. What usually changes are a few lines of information, and they need to be in English. Our guide to localising your brand covers the wording; this article covers the box.
Which safety warnings must be on packaging in Australia?
The ones your product's mandatory standard asks for, written in English, on the product or its packaging.
Some products must meet mandatory safety standards, and business.gov.au notes these can require a warning statement on the product or its packaging. Button batteries are the clearest example: Australia's information standards require warnings and emergency advice on the packaging and on the batteries. When the ACCC checked 819 products in stores in 2023, 34% of products containing button batteries and 28% of battery packs were missing mandatory warnings or symbols. A Chinese-only warning does not count. Check which standards apply in our plain-English compliance guide.
How should quantity be shown on a box in Australia?
If you sell by number, weight or size, put the net quantity on the front, at least a minimum letter height.
Australia's guide to selling pre-packaged goods says the measurement marking (weight, volume, length, area or number) must be on the main display part of the package, must not include the packaging, and must be at least a set height depending on the size of the package. Importers are responsible for making sure the packages they import carry it. A small “6pcs” on the back, which is common on boxes made for other markets, is a typical thing to fix.
- 120 mm or lessAa2 mm
- 120 to 230 mmAa2.5 mm
- 230 to 360 mmAa3.3 mm
- Over 360 mmAa4.8 mm
Drawn to scale relative to each other. Stamped or embossed markings must be three times these heights. Source: Guide to the sale of pre-packaged goods (updated 27 November 2025).
Do you need “Made in China” and other claims on the box?
Origin is optional for non-food products, but anything you print, origin or claim, must be true and provable.
The ACCC says the Australian Consumer Law does not require a country of origin label on non-food products, but if you make one it must be clear, truthful and accurate. “Made in China” is perfectly fine; vague lines like “imported original” can confuse more than help. The same goes for claims such as “100% safe” or “non-toxic”: keep only what your test reports back up. Finally, we suggest adding English instructions and the name and contact of your Australian importer or seller, so families know who to ask. This is our advice, not a rule for every product. Once the box is right, our article on the first step to enter the Australian market shows what comes next.
Not sure whether your box is ready for Australia?
Most brands don't need a new design, they need someone to find the few lines that must change before the first print run.
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Packaging and label localisation support: we review your box and labels against what Australian shoppers and the rules expect, and mark exactly what to change.
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Real families check it: parents in Baby Island, our community of more than 10,000 members, tell you whether the box and instructions are clear before you print in volume.
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Then tell people about it: Chinese social media management and Xiaohongshu content that show the finished box, inside our six-step market-entry process.
DAY Concept has helped 6 brands enter Australia.
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Questions brands ask
- What are the packaging and labelling requirements in Australia for toys and baby products?
- Labels must be truthful, clear and accurate; any warning your product's mandatory standard requires must be on the product or packaging in English; and goods sold by number, weight or size need a net quantity marking on the front at a minimum letter height.
- Is a country of origin label mandatory for non-food products in Australia?
- No. The Australian Consumer Law does not require it for non-food products, but if you show the origin it must be accurate. “Made in China” is acceptable.
- Can I use stickers instead of reprinting the box?
- Often yes for a first small shipment, as long as the sticker is clear, permanent enough and covers the right information. For larger runs, reprinting is usually neater and cheaper per unit.
- business.gov.au, “Labelling your products” (page updated 22 September 2026).
- ACCC, “Do I need to make a country of origin claim for my products?”, small business toolkit (accessed November 2026).
- Australian Government, Department of Industry, Science and Resources (National Measurement Institute), “Guide to the sale of pre-packaged goods” (published 1 July 2019, updated 27 November 2025).
- ACCC, “ACCC investigates as button battery products fail to comply with information rules to keep children safe”, media release 67/2023, 27 June 2023.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules differ by product: check the mandatory standards that apply to yours with the ACCC (productsafety.gov.au) before you print or ship. Food, cosmetics, chemicals and electrical goods have their own labelling rules and should be treated as a separate project.