Earlier this month, the Indonesian Halal Authority (BPJPH) moved to reaccredit the only U.S. halal certifying company in the U.S. approved for Indonesia. The accreditation had been suspended in March, effectively halting U.S. beef exports to Indonesia.
As U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Vice President for Asia Pacific Jihae Yang explains, BPJPH had questioned whether U.S. slaughter practices met Indonesia’s halal standards, but those concerns have now been addressed.
Courtesy photo.
Now that beef trade is reopening, Cattlemen’s Beef Board CEO Greg Hanes sees growing potential in the market which imported $93 million of U.S. beef in 2024.
Courtesy photo.
While the reaccreditation removed a key obstacle for U.S. beef in Indonesia, work continues on addressing Indonesia’s other non-tariff barriers. In late July, the Trump administration released a joint statement and fact sheet detailing the framework for negotiating an agreement with the Indonesian government. The joint statement’s language is very promising in that it addresses – at a high level – persistent obstacles that have long frustrated U.S. exporters and prevented the Indonesian market from even approaching its full potential.
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