Trade Minister Budi ensures that US products continue to follow Indonesian halal rules

JAKARTA - Trade Minister Budi Santoso ensures that all products imported from the United States (US) must follow the halal certification provisions set by Indonesia.

The Minister of Trade Budi's statement was in response to the assumption that imported products from the US are free to enter Indonesia without halal certification.

"US products must still follow Indonesian halal rules. National standards remain the main reference," said Budi quoted from the official Instagram @budisantosofficial, Tuesday, February 24.

Budi also said that food and beverage products entering Indonesia are also required to have halal certificates in accordance with national regulations through the Halal Product Assurance Organization (BPJPH).

"Meanwhile, for cosmetic products and health equipment, they must have certification from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM)," wrote Budi.

In addition, Budi continued, non-halal products are also required to clearly state the non-halal information on the packaging.

"This means that there is no elimination of halal obligations in Indonesian-US trade cooperation," said Budi.

Budi said Indonesia and the US have a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) or an international halal equivalence agreement in global cooperation. The practice of MRA is commonly carried out between certification bodies between the two countries.

Furthermore, Budi said that through this agreement, trade between the two countries is not carried out freely without halal labels, but rather to facilitate certification.

"This means that halal certificates from halal institutions in the US can be recognized, as long as they meet Indonesian halal standards," he wrote.

Therefore, Budi said that the MRA does not mean that standards are lowered, but ensures that the products that enter remain in accordance with national regulations without reducing supervision.

"US products must still follow Indonesian halal rules. National standards remain the main reference. If there is food and drink that contains non-halal content? Yes, it must be given non-halal information, so that consumers are also protected," he said.