Cabinet Secretary Teddy Says US Products Still Require Halal Certification

Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya has denied that American products can enter Indonesia without halal certification. “Some have claimed that US products can enter Indonesia without halal certification. To put it simply: that is not true,” Teddy said in a written statement on Sunday evening, 22 February 2026.

According to Teddy, all products falling within mandatory halal certification categories must comply with the prevailing laws and regulations in Indonesia. US products in these categories, he said, are required to carry a halal label, either from a halal authority in the United States or from a halal authority in Indonesia.

Teddy explained that halal certification bodies in the United States recognised by Indonesia include Halal Transactions of Omaha (HTO) and the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA). In Indonesia, halal certification is administered by the Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH).

Teddy stressed that Indonesian and American halal authorities have a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA), an international agreement on the equivalence of halal certification within the framework of global cooperation. With this MRA in place, he noted that certification recognition is conducted in a standardised manner and remains within the national regulatory framework.

Exemptions from halal certification for certain US products entering Indonesia apply to cosmetics, medical devices, and manufactured goods. Nevertheless, according to Teddy, cosmetic products and medical devices are still required to obtain distribution permits from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) before they can be marketed in Indonesia.

The government, Teddy said, ensures that the Indonesia-US trade agreement does not eliminate the obligation to meet national standards, including halal requirements and consumer protection. The government urged the public to verify that all information is obtained from official sources and called on citizens not to be swayed by inaccurate information.

Indonesia and the United States officially signed a reciprocal trade agreement in Washington D.C. on Thursday, 19 February 2026. The trade agreement addresses import tariffs and the removal of trade barriers.