October 18, 2024: The American Halal Foundation (AHF) is pleased to announce an important update regarding Indonesia’s mandatory halal certification law for imported food and beverage products. 

On October 18, 2024, the Government of Indonesia issued Government Regulation No. 42/2024, which grants a two-year extension for food and beverage products to comply with the country’s halal certification requirements. The extension is valid until no later than October 17, 2026.

This decision comes as a relief to many international food and beverage exporters, including U.S. companies, who have been working to meet Indonesia’s stringent halal certification standards. 

Previously, the deadline for compliance was set for October 17, 2024. With this extension, products—excluding meat and meat products—can continue to be sold in Indonesia without halal certification during the grace period.

AHF is closely monitoring the situation and will provide updates as further details emerge, especially regarding the compliance windows for various business sizes and imported products, as outlined in the regulation.

Background on the Regulation

In 2014, Indonesia introduced the Halal Assurance Law (No. 33/2014), requiring all food and beverage products sold in the country to be certified halal. Only haram (forbidden) products and certain minimally processed items on the “halal positive list” are exempt from this mandate.

The specific compliance deadline will be determined by the Minister of Religious Affairs, with a maximum extension until October 17, 2026, contingent on mutual recognition of halal certificates.

This extension has provided significant relief to local retailers and food service sectors in Indonesia, which estimated that up to 25% of products on their shelves were not yet halal certified.

Next Steps

AHF will continue to work closely with U.S exporters and other stakeholders to navigate the evolving requirements of halal certification in Indonesia. We encourage our clients and industry partners to stay informed and proactive in their halal certification efforts. As further

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