MUI Highlights Indonesia-US Trade Deal, Urges Public to Avoid Non-Halal Products
MUI Fatwa Division Chairman Prof KH Asrorun Ni’am Sholeh has spoken out regarding reports of a trade agreement between the Indonesian and United States governments, one provision of which would exempt US products entering Indonesia from halal certification requirements. Asrorun urged the public not to purchase non-halal products.
“Avoid food products that are not halal or whose halal status is unclear, including US products that do not comply with halal regulations,” said the cleric, commonly known as Prof Ni’am, as quoted on the MUI website on Saturday (21/2/2026).
Prof Ni’am emphasised that the mandatory halal certification for products entering, circulating, or sold within Indonesian territory cannot be negotiated, including by the US government.
“Our laws regulate halal product assurance. Among other things, they stipulate that every product entering, circulating, or sold within Indonesian territory must be halal-certified,” said the head of the An-Nahdlah Islamic Boarding School in Depok, West Java.
The professor of Islamic jurisprudence at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta stated that halal product assurance regulations represent the implementation of human rights protection, particularly the right to religious freedom, which is constitutionally guaranteed. According to him, the principle of trade in Islamic commercial jurisprudence does not rest on who the trading partner is, but rather on the rules governing the transaction.
Furthermore, he assessed that Indonesia needs to conduct trade transactions with any country, including the United States, provided they are carried out with mutual respect, mutual benefit, and without political pressure.
“In the context of halal, the majority of Indonesia’s population is Muslim, and every Muslim is bound by the halal status of products. Law Number 33 of 2014 on Halal Product Assurance states that all products entering and circulating in Indonesia must have halal certification,” he stressed.
The chairman of the Centre for Fatwa and Islamic Law Studies (PUSFAHIM) at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta explained that this regulation is a form of state protection over public consumption and is guaranteed within the framework of human rights. Ni’am said he had previously visited various US states as part of a cooperation process with halal institutions.
During those visits, he observed that the halal certification system is also recognised in the United States.
“If America talks about human rights, then halal certification is part of implementing respect and appreciation for the most fundamental human right, namely the right to religious freedom,” he said.
Prof Ni’am affirmed that halal consumption is a religious obligation. He also stressed that halal labelling is an absolute requirement.
“And it cannot be negotiated, let alone bartered for price. For instance, if we buy goods at a cheap price but they are not halal — even if given for free, if they are not halal, they must not be consumed,” he said.
Nevertheless, the general chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama Student Association Alumni Council proposed room for compromise on technical aspects, such as administrative simplification, reporting transparency, and efficiency in costs and processing times. However, the substantive aspect of halal status must not be compromised.
“Administrative matters can and may be simplified. But we must not sacrifice fundamental matters merely to obtain financial gain, thereby stripping Indonesian citizens of their basic rights,” he said.
Indonesia is reported to have agreed not to impose halal labelling or certification requirements on non-halal products circulating domestically. This provision forms part of the government’s latest commitments in trade and product standards regulation.
This is set out in the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) between Indonesia and the United States, which states: “With the aim of facilitating United States exports of cosmetics, medical devices, and other manufactured goods that may currently be required to have halal certification, Indonesia will exempt US products from halal certification and halal labelling requirements.”
Indonesia will not impose labelling or certification requirements for non-halal products. Indonesia will also permit any US halal certification body recognised by Indonesia’s halal authority to certify any product as halal for import into Indonesia without additional requirements or restrictions.
Indonesia will simplify the recognition process for US halal certification bodies by Indonesia’s halal authority and expedite approvals. Indonesia will also exempt containers and other materials used to transport manufactured goods from halal certification and labelling requirements, except for containers and other materials used to transport food and beverages, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products.