BPJPH: Imported US Products Must Still Be Halal Certified

Head of the Halal Product Assurance Organization (BPJPH) Ahmad Haikal Hasan/ANTARA/HO-BPJPH

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Halal Product Assurance Organization (BPJPH) emphasized that products from the United States (US) that enter Indonesia must still be halal certified in accordance with existing regulations.

Head of BPJPH Ahmad Haikal Hasan said the obligation of halal certification in Indonesia still refers to the mandate of Law Number 33 of 2014 concerning Halal Product Guarantee and its derivative regulations.

"All products that are included in the mandatory halal category and are circulating and traded in Indonesia, including imported products from the United States and other countries, must meet the provisions of halal certification according to regulations, both (certified) halal in their country and halal in Indonesia," said Haikal as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, February 23.

He emphasized that the reciprocal cooperation agreement between Indonesia and the US does not eliminate the obligation of certification and halal labels for products that enter and circulate in Indonesia.

"Reciprocal cooperation is not the elimination of halal obligations. Every product that is mandatory halal and enters Indonesia must still have a halal certificate and include a halal label in accordance with the provisions of laws and regulations," said Haikal.

"The state is present to ensure protection for the community or consumers while increasing the competitiveness of products," he added.

Meanwhile, for non-halal products, he continued, they are exempt from the obligation to be certified halal. These non-halal products are required to include non-halal information in accordance with the provisions.

Haikal said that reciprocal recognition would strengthen global halal governance without reducing Indonesia's regulatory sovereignty.

The mechanism of mutual recognition or Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) is a form of recognition of halal standards between BPJPH and Foreign Halal Institutions (LHLN) which have gone through a strict assessment process.

This mechanism does not mean the elimination of halal obligations, but rather the simplification of procedures through the recognition of halal certificates issued by LHLN which have been recognized by BPJPH.

Currently, there are five LHLN in the United States that have cooperated in recognizing halal standards with BPJPH, namely the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA), the American Halal Foundation (AHF), Islamic Services of America (ISA), Halal Transactions, Inc / Halal Transactions of Omaha (HTO), and the Islamic Society of Washington Area through the Halal Certification Department (ISWA).

"BPJPH also ensures that consumer protection commitments and the implementation of the halal certification or Halal Obligation policy in October 2026 are carried out consistently, transparently, and accountable, including for imported products," said Haikal.