NMPF Heads Off Halal Trade Barrier in Indonesia
November 3, 2026
Indonesia revoked its Halal pre-shipment inspection requirement and delayed its Halal supply chain mandate by two years on Oct. 16, just days before both measures were set to take effect, following a coordinated effort led by NMPF and the U.S. Dairy Export Council to head off new trade barriers. NMPF and USDEC collaborated with a coalition of international dairy organizations and worked closely with USTR and USDA to oppose the measures, which would have required an unworkable conformity inspection of every shipment in the country of origin and extended Halal requirements to every link in the supply chain, from cold storage to ocean carriers. U.S. exporters shipped over $220 million in dairy products to Indonesia last year, all of which would have fallen under the expanded requirements.
The win builds on NMPF and USDEC’s work to secure important dairy market access in Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country. That includes Agreement on Reciprocal Trade commitments on zero tariffs and assurances on nontariff issues such as import licensing and Indonesia’s onerous dairy processing facility registration. NMPF will use the two-year window to push for a permanent fix based on Indonesia’s existing Halal certification system.
