The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has raised concerns about the trade agreement between Indonesia and the United States known as the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART). According to MUI, several provisions in the agreement may conflict with Indonesian laws, particularly regulations related to halal product certification.

KH Aminudin Yakub, Deputy Secretary General of MUI for Fatwa Affairs, explained that an internal review conducted by the organization found several points that could contradict Indonesia’s halal product assurance regulations. He stated that certain articles in the agreement appear to allow exemptions from halal certification requirements for several imported products from the United States.

Among the provisions that received attention are Articles 2.22, 2.8, and 2.9 of the agreement. These articles regulate exemptions from halal certification for several categories of products, including cosmetics, medical devices, and manufactured consumer goods. In addition, there are provisions that exempt shredded second-hand clothing from halal certification requirements.

Furthermore, the agreement is also said to provide exceptions for logistics and packaging services, meaning they may not be required to obtain halal certification or employ halal supervisors. MUI believes that these provisions could create problems because halal assurance is an important issue for the Muslim community in Indonesia.

According to MUI, Law Number 33 of 2014 concerning Halal Product Assurance clearly states that products circulating and traded in Indonesia must have halal certification. This regulation covers various types of products, including food, beverages, medicines, cosmetics, chemical products, and other consumer goods.

Asrorun Ni’am Sholeh, Chairman of MUI’s Fatwa Division, also reminded the public to be more careful in choosing products for consumption. He advised people to avoid products whose halal status is unclear, including imported products that do not meet Indonesia’s halal standards.

He emphasized that halal product assurance is part of protecting the religious rights of Muslim consumers, which are guaranteed by the constitution. Therefore, he stated that halal requirements should not be compromised in international economic or trade agreements.

While acknowledging the importance of international trade cooperation, MUI hopes that any agreements made by the government will still respect national regulations and protect the rights of Indonesian consumers to access halal-certified products.