GP Ansor: Halal Certification Remains Valid Under the Indonesia-US Trade Agreement
The Youth Movement of Nahdlatul Ulama (GP Ansor) has asserted that the obligation for halal certification and labeling remains valid within the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) between Indonesia and the United States. Addin Jauharudin, Chairman of GP Ansor, stated that the public need not be concerned about the issue suggesting that halal labeling would be removed under the agreement.
“GP Ansor ensures that the obligation for halal certification and labeling, particularly for food and beverage products circulating in Indonesia, will continue to be enforced in accordance with Law Number 33 of 2014 concerning Halal Product Assurance. There is no removal of the halal obligation for consumer products,” Addin emphasized in a statement on Tuesday (February 24).
According to Addin, the provision that has garnered public attention is outlined in Annex III Article 2.9 of the agreement. This article primarily regulates the facilitation of cosmetics, medical devices, and certain manufactured goods originating from the United States, rather than a complete removal of halal obligations.
Addin explained that the phrasing in the article does not imply the removal of halal obligations for all products. “This agreement actually affirms that non-halal products are not required to be labeled as halal, which aligns with current practices. Meanwhile, for food and beverage products, the obligation for halal certification remains fully in effect in accordance with national regulations,” he said.
Addin also quoted the statement of Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, who affirmed that the government has also stated that there is no removal of halal certification obligations in the Indonesia-US trade agreement. National halal regulations remain the primary reference and are not superseded by international trade agreements.
On this occasion, Addin stated that the agreement is one way to recognize foreign halal certification bodies, including those from the United States, but they must still go through the official recognition mechanism of Indonesian halal authorities.
“The recognition of foreign halal bodies does not mean free and unsupervised. Each halal certification body in the United States must still be recognized by Indonesian halal authorities. The principle is equal standards and compliance with the national halal product assurance system,” he said.
He added that this recognition actually affirms the sovereignty of the Indonesian halal system, because the national authority remains the party that determines which bodies can issue halal certificates for products entering Indonesia.
“Therefore, the public does not need to be provoked by narratives that suggest that halal labeling is being removed. We must read the documents in their entirety, proportionally, and still refer to the applicable national laws,” Addin added.
GP Ansor reaffirmed its commitment to continue overseeing public policy to protect the interests of the community, guarantee legal certainty, and ensure that international trade cooperation proceeds without sacrificing the principles of consumer protection and religious beliefs. (Cah/P-3)