Earlier this month, the government said that it had speeded up deliberation on a bill on halal certification that had met with vociferous opposition from businesses, who argued that the new rule would increase costs.
Under the planned law, halal certificates and labels will be required for three sectors: F&B, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. This would apply not only to all ingredients but also the equipment used during production.
The law would also call on a new compliance body, the National Halal Products Certification Agency, to oversee certification under the rules, while a religious body, the Indonesian Ulema Council, would set halal standards.
The bill, which was initiated by lawmakers and not the ruling government, was said to have been introduced to protect the Muslim majority of local consumers from products containing non-halal ingredients, such as pork and alcohol.
Make it voluntary, says food body
Food businesses in Indonesia are against the proposed law, whose mandatory application is backed by religious parties. Their contention is that for this bill to become a law, it must be amended to make halal certification of their products optional, not mandatory, as planned.
In a oral submission to the House of Representatives, Yusuf Hadi, the deputy chairman of the Indonesian Food and Beverage Association, said that lawmakers should not force local businesses to secure halal certificates.
“We remain firm in saying that the new law should not be mandatory for local firms. There is still a group of non-Muslims in the country that accounts for 10 per cent of the total population of 240 million people. We ought to not forget their needs,” Yusuf said.
Yusuf said that the new law, in its present state, would burden small and medium businesses. Local businesses currently spend between US$26 and US$416 per product to obtain halal certificates from the Ulema Council, albeit voluntarily.
A long drawn-out battle
The bill is being deliberated by a group of lawmakers and government ministers under House Commission VIII, which oversees religious affairs, and it is likely that a decision will be made in late October. However, the bill has been under deliberation since 2004.
The bill has political undertones mixed with religious and ideological leanings of the major parties. Groups like the Islamic Prosperous Justice Party are pushing for the new law to be made mandatory for local businesses that wish to sell their products to Muslim consumers.
In contrast, the more liberal and secular Democratic Party insists that the regulation be applied with a voluntary clause. For now, all eyes are on October 26, when the House Commission VIII is expected to give a ruling on the bill
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Speaking at the Opening Ceremony of VIETFISH 2026 on August 19 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), U.S. Consul General Melissa Brown highlighted the important role of the exhibition in connecting Vietnam’s growing seafood industry with buyers, suppliers, and partners from the United States and around the world.
(vasep.com.vn) Tomorrow, August 19, 2026, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition – Vietfish 2026 will officially open at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City. Taking place over three days, from August 19–21, Vietfish 2026 promises to provide a dynamic platform for business networking, trend updates, product experiences and comprehensive cooperation across the domestic and international seafood community.
(vasep.com.vn) The global tilapia market continues to grow, creating significant opportunities for countries with strengths in aquaculture, processing, and exports. Against this backdrop, Vietnam’s tilapia industry is gradually developing toward higher quality, greater product diversification, and broader market reach. At Vietfish 2026, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), together with the VASEP Tilapia Producers and Exporters Club, will host a joint booth to promote the image and potential of Vietnamese tilapia to domestic and international buyers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports are heading towards $12 billion this year, potentially the highest level on record. Yet one of the country’s export strengths is facing a growing list of challenges.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The first six months of 2026 indicate that Vietnam’s tilapia industry is entering a new phase of development, with strong export growth but also greater demands for production scale, quality and international competitiveness.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietfish 2026, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition, will officially take place from 19–21 August 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City. As Vietnam’s largest annual seafood trade event, organized by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Vietfish 2026 will once again bring together leading seafood companies, industry experts, and international partners from across the global seafood value chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached USD 1.1 billion in July 2026, up 4.8% compared to the same period in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first seven months of the year totaled nearly USD 6.86 billion, an increase of 11.5% year-on-year. Exceeding the USD 1 billion mark in July further reinforces the prospect that Vietnam’s seafood exports could surpass USD 12 billion in 2026. However, the July figures also send a clear signal that the most favorable growth period may have passed: overall export growth slowed to just 4.8%, pangasius exports fell 6.1%, tuna exports were virtually flat, while exports to the EU, South Korea, and the Middle East all recorded double-digit declines.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the seminar "Global Seafood Market and the Future Workforce: Trends, Opportunities, and Sustainable Development Pathways for Vietnam's Seafood Industry" will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on August 19, 2026, at Convention Room B, Level 2, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City. This is the first of five specialized seminars at Vietfish 2026, focusing on key issues that are shaping the long-term development of Vietnam's seafood industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese seafood exports recorded impressive growth, generating nearly 6 billion USD in revenue during the first six months of the year, up 13% compared with the same period last year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Fishermen in Ha Tinh are gradually overcoming difficulties to maintain the efficiency of seafood exploitation. In the first six months of 2026, the entire province achieved a production of more than 23,000 tons of seafood, worth more than 1,200 billion VND.
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