JAKARTA, Legal Literacy — Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya denied information stating that products originating from the United States (US) can enter Indonesia without halal certification. Teddy emphasized that all products which, according to regulations, are required to have halal certification must still comply with the rules applicable in Indonesia.

“Some say that US products enter Indonesia without halal certification? In short: that is not true,” said Teddy in a statement from the Presidential Secretariat, Sunday (22/2/2026) evening.

Teddy conveyed that the government ensures that the obligation of halal certification is not eliminated through trade cooperation between Indonesia and the US. Products included in the mandatory halal category, he said, must still have a halal label—either from a halal institution recognized in the US or from a halal institution in Indonesia.

He exemplified that in the US there are recognized halal certification bodies, such as Halal Transactions of Omaha (HTO) and Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA). Meanwhile, in Indonesia, halal certification is carried out by the Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (BPJPH).

In addition to the halal aspect, Teddy also emphasized that certain products must still meet other licensing requirements. For cosmetics and medical devices, for example, products must still obtain a distribution permit from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) before being marketed domestically.

Teddy added that Indonesian and American halal institutions have a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) or an agreement of mutual recognition of halal certification. According to him, the MRA is a framework for equalizing the recognition of certification in global cooperation, but still operates within measurable standards and under the umbrella of national regulations.

The government, said Teddy, urges the public not to easily believe information circulating without an official basis, and to ensure that information references come from credible sources.