Minister of Trade, Zulkifli Hasan, announced that all imported goods in the trade sector entering Indonesia must undergo halal certification to protect the predominantly Muslim domestic consumers. This requirement is based on Ministerial Regulation No. 31 of 2024, which covers Business Licensing, Advertising, Guidance, and Supervision of Business Actors in Electronic Trading Systems (PMSE). The regulation ensures that goods circulating on PMSE platforms meet the necessary standards. “To protect our local businesses and help them thrive, we must ensure fair competition. If we grow, we can advance and export; otherwise, we remain in the middle-income trap,” stated Zulkifli after the signing ceremony for the Implementation and Supervision of Halal Product Assurance in Trade, held in Jakarta on Tuesday, 28 May 2024. “Imported food products must have halal certification,” he added. The Minister emphasized that all circulated goods, including food, cosmetics, and other products from abroad, must be certified. "Foreign products cannot enter homes without certification; that would be unfair," he remarked. The Directorate General of Consumer Protection and Trade Compliance (PKTN) is responsible for overseeing the certification process, which has significant implications for consumer protection.

Currently, Indonesia ranks third in the trade of halal products, despite being the largest Muslim-majority country. The implementation of halal certification is proposed to be conducted over one year, within the two-year target set by President Joko Widodo. The deadline for mandatory halal certification for SMEs has been extended from 2024 to 2026 following an internal agreement between President Joko Widodo and the cabinet. "The President decided that for SMEs in the food and beverage sector, the enforcement will be postponed to 2026," said Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Wednesday, 15 May 2024. He noted that the target of 10 million halal certifications by the end of the year has not been met, with only about 4.4 million certifications achieved so far.

Source: https://tirto.id/zulhas-produk-impor-yang-masuk-ke-ri-wajib-sertifikasi-halal-gY2J