Indonesian Govt denies easing halal rules for US goods

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya dismissed claims that US products can enter Indonesia without halal certification, saying the reports are false and misleading. 

In a statement issued Sunday through the Cabinet Secretariat in Jakarta, Teddy said all goods required to be halal-certified must display an official halal label, whether issued by US-based institutions or Indonesian authorities. 

“Products that are required to be certified must carry a halal label, either from a halal body in the US or from a halal authority in Indonesia,” he said. 

He stressed that halal certification is mandatory for food and beverage products sold in Indonesia, with no exemptions granted to imports from the US. 

In the US, halal certificates can be issued by recognized bodies such as Halal Transactions of Omaha and Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America, Teddy said. 

In Indonesia, the authority responsible for halal certification is the Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Produk Halal, or BPJPH. 

Teddy added that cosmetics and medical devices are also subject to strict oversight. Both categories must secure distribution permits and certification from the Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan before entering the domestic market. 

“Cosmetic products and medical devices must obtain certification from BPOM,” he said, referring to the Indonesian food and drug regulator. 

He said Indonesia and the US have a Mutual Recognition Agreement on halal standards, allowing reciprocal recognition of certification without lowering regulatory or supervisory benchmarks in either country. 

The clarification follows reports that Indonesia would relax halal requirements for US goods after President Prabowo Subianto and US President Donald Trump signed a reciprocal tariff agreement in Washington. 

Annex III Article 2.9 of the pact mentions adjustments to halal regulations to facilitate exports of cosmetics, medical devices and other goods from the US, with further technical discussions to be held at the Office of the United States Trade Representative.