D-8 Halal Expo Aims to Propel Trade Target to Rp9 Quadrillion

Indonesia, as the current chair of the Developing Eight (D-8) organisation, officially opened the Halal Expo Indonesia (HEI) 2026 to support collective efforts in achieving an internal trade target of US$500 billion (approximately Rp9 quadrillion) by 2030. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Anis Matta stated that the inclusion of Azerbaijan as the newest D-8 member in 2025 has brought the trade value among D-8 countries to a range of US$150-160 billion. “However, since 2020, D-8 member states have set a target to reach a trade value of half a trillion US dollars, which, God willing, will be achieved by 2030,” Anis said during a press conference following the opening of the D-8 HEI 2026 in Jakarta on Wednesday. To achieve this goal, Indonesia continues to accelerate the strengthening of trade with fellow D-8 members through various instruments, focusing on a more complementary approach for each member’s economy. On the same occasion, the Head of the Halal Product Assurance Organising Body (BPJPH), Haikal Hassan, stated that the D-8 HEI 2026 is a joint effort to rally strength to become a driver of the halal industry at the global level. Haikal emphasised the importance of this collaboration so that Muslim-majority countries can become the world’s largest halal industry players, as the world’s largest producers of halal products are currently dominated by China, Brazil, and the United States. “This is a starting point for us to enter the real halal industry because we must rally the strength of the halal economy,” he said. The D-8 HEI 2026 exhibition is being held at the Senayan Indoor Tennis Stadium from 8-12 July 2026, featuring trade exhibitions from D-8 member countries and other partner nations, business matching facilitation, as well as panel discussions and cultural performances.