The head of the Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH), Ahmad Haikal\nHasan, has said the United States possesses a rigorous halal\ncertification ecosystem. He urged Indonesian consumers not to worry\nabout imported US products bearing halal labels issued by American\nauthorities.<\/p>\n
According to Haikal, the US has maintained strict regulations for\nhalal products since 1974, when the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council\nof America (IFANCA) was established. \u201cI am not defending America.\nAmerica is actually stricter when it comes to halal matters because they\nhave been enforcing halal standards since 1974,\u201d Haikal said in a\nwritten statement on Tuesday, 24 February 2026.<\/p>\n
Haikal stated that US halal bodies are already recognised and\ncooperate with many countries, including Indonesia. Halal certification\nfrom trusted American institutions, he said, is also acknowledged by\nBPJPH as Indonesia\u2019s halal authority.<\/p>\n
The statement from BPJPH was issued in response to reports that US\nproducts would no longer require halal labels to enter Indonesia\nfollowing the signing of a trade agreement by President Prabowo Subianto\nand US President Donald Trump last week. Haikal dismissed those reports\nas false. \u201cThe information circulating among the public that American\nproducts entering Indonesia do not need halal labels is not true,\u201d he\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Haikal maintained that halal certification for imported US products\nwould comply with Indonesian regulations and be carried out\ntransparently. \u201cDo not worry \u2014 when it comes to halal matters, nothing\nis being hidden or concealed. Nothing is being violated,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
According to Haikal, the halal labelling provisions between Indonesia\nand the US are set out in a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA). The MRA\nrepresents a mutual acknowledgement of halal standards between BPJPH and\noverseas halal bodies in the United States. Haikal noted that the\nagreement had been in effect before the Indonesia-US trade pact was\nsigned last week.<\/p>\n
Haikal explained that once halal authorities in the US have issued a\nhalal label, Indonesia does not need to re-examine the halal status of\nthe product. \u201cIt is only registered; it is not processed from scratch,\u201d\nhe said.<\/p>\n
The governments of Indonesia and the United States officially signed\na reciprocal trade agreement in Washington D.C. on Thursday, 19 February\n2026. The trade pact addressed import tariffs and the removal of trade\nbarriers and was signed by Prabowo Subianto and Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
Following the agreement, Indonesia granted halal certification\nexemptions for a number of US products entering the country, including\ncosmetics, medical devices, and manufactured goods. Nevertheless,\ncosmetic and medical device products remain obliged to obtain\ndistribution permits from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM)\nbefore they can be marketed in Indonesia.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bpjph-united-states-has-strict-halal-certification-standards-1771928969", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }