Jakarta. The government has reaffirmed that all products from the United States entering the Indonesian market must comply with domestic halal certification rules, despite facilitation under the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) scheme.

Head of the Industry Services Standardization and Policy Agency (BSKJI) at the Industry Ministry, Emmy Suryandari, said certification can be conducted in the country of origin through Overseas Halal Institutions (LHLN) registered with the Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH).

“Products from the United States are still required to be halal. Certification can be carried out in the country of origin, then registered in Indonesia,” Emmy said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Head of the Industry Ministry’s Halal Industry Center, Kris Sasono, added that five LHLNs in the US are currently recognized by BPJPH. Under the MRA mechanism, products that have obtained halal certificates in the US do not need to repeat the full certification process in Indonesia, but only undergo registration.

“They use their halal logo issued by their LHLN. Once the products arrive here, our halal logo is also displayed. That is what has been implemented so far,” Kris said.

He stressed that supervision remains in place, as MRAs are valid only for a limited period of two to four years and are subject to periodic review.

Separately, Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs spokesperson Haryo Limanseto underscored that transparency is key to protecting consumers. US food and beverage products containing non-halal ingredients must clearly state “Non-Halal” on their labels.

“This is done to protect domestic consumers,” Haryo said.

For non-food items such as cosmetics, medical devices, and manufactured goods, the government continues to apply quality and safety standards, including Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements and detailed product content information, to ensure consumers are fully informed about the products they use.

Under the Indonesia-US Agreement on Reciprocal Tariff (ART), Indonesia committed to addressing various non-tariff barriers, including acceptance of US vehicle safety and emissions standards, as well as US FDA standards for pharmaceuticals and medical devices. For consumer goods, the MRA framework for recognized US halal bodies is seen as a solution to maintain quality while easing compliance for businesses.

“This is necessary as demand in Indonesia for high-quality halal products, particularly meat and other consumer goods from the US, continues to rise,” Haryo said.

The halal certification issue has drawn public attention after being included in Article 2.9 of the ART, signed last Thursday by President Prabowo Subianto and US President Donald Trump. As the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, halal labeling remains crucial for products sold in Indonesia.

The ART document states that the US requested Indonesia to exempt US cosmetics, medical devices, and manufactured goods from halal certification and labeling requirements. The agreement also states that Indonesia will not impose labeling or certification requirements on non-halal products.

However, the agreement includes a clause allowing any US halal certification body recognized by Indonesia’s halal authority to certify products as halal for export to Indonesia without additional requirements or restrictions.

“Indonesia will streamline the process by which US halal certification bodies obtain recognition from Indonesia’s halal authority and accelerate approvals,” Article 2.9 paragraph 4 of the ART states.