Indonesia\u2019s Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the nation\u2019s largest Muslim group, has defended the country\u2019s mandatory halal certification for imported goods after the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) labeled the policy a “technical barrier to trade,” Jakarta Globe reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NU Chairman Yahya Cholil Staquf asserted Indonesia\u2019s sovereign right to enforce halal standards, calling them essential for its Muslim-majority population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The USTR\u2019s 2025 report criticized Indonesia\u2019s broad halal requirements\u2014covering food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and other products\u2014for lacking WTO transparency and imposing costly compliance burdens. It cited delayed accreditation for foreign certifiers due to complex paperwork and rigid auditor quotas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Indonesia\u2019s 2014 Halal Product Assurance Law mandates certification across production, storage, and distribution. Yahya countered that non-halal goods can still enter but cannot claim halal status, noting other Muslim-majority nations have stricter rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The dispute underscores tensions between trade liberalization and religious consumer protections, with Indonesia prioritizing domestic values over U.S. export concerns.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Indonesia\u2019s Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the nation\u2019s largest Muslim group, has defended the country\u2019s mandatory halal certification for imported goods after the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) labeled the policy a “technical barrier to trade,” Jakarta Globe reported. NU Chairman Yahya Cholil Staquf asserted Indonesia\u2019s sovereign right to enforce halal standards, calling them essential for its Muslim-majority …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":123104,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"yes","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_108372464460192_245495985553329":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[2934],"tags":[13851,13852],"class_list":["post-123103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-indonesia","tag-halal-regulations-for-products","tag-us-trade-criticism"],"yoast_head":"\n