BPJPH says imported halal-product rules are not a trade barrier

Indonesia’s Halal Product Assurance Agency, known as BPJPH, has issued Regulation No. 4 of 2026 on verifying the compliance of foreign halal products entering Indonesia.

The agency said the regulation is designed not only to establish the halal status of imported goods. It also views halal verification as part of Indonesia’s effort to strengthen national independence, protect the public interest and build a healthy halal food sovereignty framework.

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Halal product verification is part of state sovereignty. Indonesia is open to products from various countries, but that openness must be accompanied by our ability to ensure that products entering the country meet Indonesia’s applicable standards and requirements.

Ahmad Haikal Hasan, the agency’s head, said Indonesia is a large market and must be able to set and enforce standards for every product sold in the country. “Halal product verification is part of state sovereignty,” he said at the BPJPH building in Jakarta on September 5, 2026. “Indonesia is open to products from various countries, but that openness must be accompanied by our ability to ensure that products entering the country meet Indonesia’s applicable standards and requirements.”

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We must not merely become a market. We must be able to ensure that products entering the country comply with the Halal Product Assurance Law.

Hasan said Indonesia should not merely become a market for products from other countries. It must regulate, verify and supervise imports so they comply with the national Halal Product Assurance Law. He described that approach as part of national independence and dignity, as well as a way to protect the public and build a strong domestic halal ecosystem.

He stressed that self-reliance does not mean closing Indonesia off from international trade. Foreign products can continue entering the country if they meet the applicable rules. With clear regulations, domestic and imported products operate under the same halal-assurance framework, providing certainty and equal protection for consumers. “Halal verification is not a trade barrier,” Hasan said. “It is a way to build orderly, fair and responsible trade while protecting the public.”

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Halal verification is not a trade barrier. It is a way to build orderly, fair and responsible trade while protecting the public.