Australian Made Week 2026 runs this week from 18 to 24 May. Here is why SME owners should be paying attention to more than just the logo.
Australian Made Week arrives this year at a moment when the conversation around local manufacturing has moved well beyond patriotism.
The fuel crisis that has gripped Australia since March, driven by the conflict in the Middle East, has put supply chain vulnerability in plain sight. Businesses that relied on overseas supply chains for critical inputs have spent weeks navigating shortages, price surges, and uncertainty. The case for building more domestic capability, which has been made quietly for years, is now being made loudly and with urgency.
Australian Made Week returns from 18 to 24 May 2026 for its sixth consecutive year, highlighting the best of Australian manufacturers, makers and growers. This year also marks the 40th anniversary of the Australian Made logo, the green-and-gold kangaroo that has become the most trusted country-of-origin symbol, with 93% of Australians trusting the brand.
Why this year is different
James Beeson, chief executive of working capital lender Earlypay, says the timing of this year’s campaign carries particular weight. “Over recent decades, Australia has become heavily reliant on overseas supply chains for many critical goods,” he says. “In the short term, those dependencies are difficult to unwind, but the lesson is clear. If we do not continue building domestic manufacturing capability, we leave ourselves exposed when global supply chains come under pressure.”
That exposure has been visible and costly in 2026. Fuel price surges, fertiliser shortages, and freight disruptions have all traced back to supply chains that stretched across vulnerable global routes. For businesses in agriculture, logistics, manufacturing, and retail, the disruption has been direct and ongoing. Beeson argues that Australian Made Week should be understood not just as a consumer campaign but as part of a broader economic conversation. “There may be a cost to buying Australian-made in some categories, but that spending supports local businesses, local jobs and investment in productive capacity,” he says.
Australian Made Chief Executive Ben Lazzaro says buying locally made products helps support jobs, communities and Australian businesses. “When consumers choose Australian Made, they’re actively supporting local economies, strengthening communities and helping Australian businesses thrive,” he says. “Supporting local has never been more important.”
The economic case in numbers
The economic impact of buying Australian Made is not abstract. Research cited by the Australian Made Campaign suggests that if Australians spent an extra $20 a week on Australian Made products, it could add $11 billion to the economy and create 20,000 jobs. A Roy Morgan study commissioned for the campaign found 84% of Australians are more likely to buy a product if they know it is Australian Made. That consumer preference is a genuine commercial asset for businesses that carry the logo or can credibly claim Australian origins for their products or services.
For SME owners who manufacture, grow, or produce locally, Australian Made Week is one of the highest-visibility periods of the year to communicate that story to customers who are actively looking for it. The logo itself, now 40 years old, carries recognition that most brands spend decades trying to build. The Australian Made logo remains a powerful commercial tool, with 99% of Australians aged 18 and over aware of it.
What the budget delivered for manufacturers
The Federal Budget handed down on 12 May delivered several measures directly relevant to small manufacturers and businesses considering investment in local production capability. The most significant for SMEs is the permanent extension of the $20,000 instant asset write-off from 1 July 2026, confirmed after years of annual extensions that Beeson and others argued provided insufficient certainty for investment planning.
“The Budget measures are useful, particularly anything that improves cash flow or gives small businesses more certainty around investment,” Beeson says. The budget also introduced a loss carry-back measure, allowing eligible companies that make a loss from 2026-27 to use that loss to receive a refund against tax paid in the previous two income years. The measure is expected to benefit up to 85,000 companies, mostly small businesses. From 2028-29, small start-ups in their first two years will also be able to receive refunds for tax losses.
The budget’s broader productivity reforms, which the government says will reduce the regulatory burden by $10.2 billion each year, were also welcomed as a step toward making it easier for businesses to invest and operate. Beeson’s broader call, however, goes further than any single budget measure. “We also need to think seriously about where Australia can excel. Agriculture, energy and defence are all areas where local capability matters and where stronger manufacturing capacity can support long-term economic resilience,” he says.
He also flags the skills question as central to any serious manufacturing ambition. “We cannot just say we want to make more things in Australia if we do not also have the people and skills to do it. University is not the only pathway. We need stronger vocational education pathways that prepare people for higher-skilled jobs in modern manufacturing, automation and production,” he says.
What SMEs can do right now
Australian Made Week runs until Sunday 24 May. For SME owners who manufacture or source locally, it is a practical opportunity to communicate that story to customers who are actively thinking about where their purchases come from. The Australian Made logo is available to businesses whose products meet the certification criteria, and the campaign provides promotional tools and visibility during the week.
For businesses that buy rather than make, the week is a prompt to review their own supply chains. The fuel crisis has demonstrated what happens when supply chains stretch across vulnerable global routes. Sourcing locally where viable reduces that exposure and, as Beeson notes, supports the broader ecosystem of Australian manufacturing capability that the country will need if it is serious about resilience. “Australian Made Week is about calling on shoppers and businesses to back the home team and look for the Australian Made logo, because Australian Made makes Australia.”
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