Indonesia Food and Beverage Halal Certification Extended

U.S. food and beverage exporters to Indonesia now have a two-year extension until October 17, 2026, to comply with the halal certification requirements.

In 2014, Indonesia enacted the Halal Assurance Law (Law No. 33/2014), mandating that all food and beverages sold must obtain halal certification by October 17, 2024. Only products forbidden to Muslims, also known as haram (e.g., pork and alcoholic beverages), and minimally processed products on what is known as the “halal positive list” (e.g., fresh produce, conventional soybeans, and seafood) are exempt from this mandatory halal certification requirement.

Over the past months, the U.S. government and other international stakeholders have pushed for a two-year delay in enforcing this law. They raised concerns about unfinished regulations, the recent accreditation of five U.S. halal certification bodies (https://bpjph.halal.go.id/datalhln/), and that Indonesia is the first to require halal certification for non-meat products. Additionally, challenges remain with the Halal Product Assurance Organizing Body (BPJPH)’s SiHalal system, the platform for registering halal certificates.

A survey by higher-end supermarkets revealed that up to 25 percent of their products still do not meet Indonesia’s halal certification and labeling requirements. Without an extension, this situation could have led to disruptions in food availability and significant revenue losses.

On October 18, 2024, the Indonesian government issued Government Regulation No. 42/2024, granting a two-year extension until “no later than October 17, 2026,” for importers and retailers to comply fully with the halal certification requirements. This allows most U.S. food and beverage products—excluding meat and meat products—to continue to be sold in Indonesia without halal certification during the extension. The U.S. government  will continue to closely monitor the situation and will provide updates accordingly.

For further information contact the U.S. Commercial Service in Indonesia: Pepsi Maryarini, Commercial Specialist at Pepsi.Maryarini@trade.gov