Before Indonesia’s Halal deadline: South Korea forms a 27-member support team, Thailand races to extend its MRA – where do Vietnamese businesses stand?

South Korea: a 27-member inter-agency support team

According to AJU Press, on 20 July 2026 South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) set up a “Joint Support Team for Entering the Indonesian Market” with 27 members, led by the Director General of its Biopharmaceutical Bureau. Members come from the Korea Pharmaceutical Exporters Association, the Korea Testing and Research Institute for the Chemical Industry (KTC) and cosmetics exporters.

The team works with Indonesia’s National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) on procedures for importing product samples, and with BPJPH on obstacles in Halal certification. The aim is to ease the burden on Korean cosmetics companies, the group expected to face higher certification costs and more complex customs and distribution procedures.

Thailand: wide-reaching seminars and MRA talks

According to Nation Thailand, Thailand’s Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) is running a series of seminars to guide businesses and is seeking to extend its mutual recognition agreement (MRA) on Halal certification with Indonesia. In 2025, Thai exports to Indonesia reached about USD 9.3 billion.

Thailand’s Trade Policy and Strategy Office notes that fresh, unprocessed farm produce is likely to be exempt, but seafood and processed or marinated goods (including waxed fruit) must be certified. Indonesia is also drafting Halal guidelines for transport and warehousing, to prevent certified goods from being cross-contaminated in transit.

📌 KEY POINTS

18 October 2026: Indonesia makes Halal certification mandatory for imports. Sanctions include fines, product recalls, and suspension or revocation of certificates.

South Korea began preparing in July, with an inter-agency team working directly with BPOM and BPJPH.

Thailand already has an MRA and is negotiating its extension, so that Thai certification bodies remain accepted by BPJPH.

🇻🇳 WHERE DO VIETNAMESE BUSINESSES STAND?

Vietnam has no Halal MRA with Indonesia (according to information published up to early 2026). Businesses must therefore be certified directly with BPJPH or through a third-country body that has an MRA. Both routes take more time and cost more than for Thai competitors.

On top of that, from 9 September 2026 every shipment must pass a pre-shipment Halal inspection to obtain an LPPH report. Without an LPPH, the shipment cannot clear customs.

What to do in the next 48 hours

1. Contact your importer now to confirm the certification and SIHALAL registration status of each product code.
2. Review shipments in transit or about to be shipped: is a pre-shipment inspection already scheduled?
3. Prioritise fresh, unprocessed goods if your paperwork is not yet complete, after confirming with your partner that they are exempt.
4. Contact the Vietnam Trade Office in Indonesia for the latest technical guidance.

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Open a storefront to present your products and Halal certificates to importers in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Middle East. Register now at https://halalhub.vn

Glossary

• MFDS (Ministry of Food and Drug Safety): South Korea’s food and drug safety ministry.
• BPOM (Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan): Indonesia’s National Agency of Drug and Food Control.
• BPJPH: Indonesia’s Halal Product Assurance Agency.
• DITP (Department of International Trade Promotion): Thailand’s trade promotion department.
• MRA (Mutual Recognition Agreement): an agreement under which BPJPH accepts Halal certificates issued by a foreign body.
• SIHALAL: BPJPH’s online Halal certification registration system.
• LPPH: Halal product assurance report, issued for each shipment after its pre-shipment inspection.

References

• AJU Press – South Korea Responds to Indonesia’s Mandatory Halal Certification with Joint Support Team
• Nation Thailand – DITP urges Thai exporters to prepare for Indonesia’s halal rules
• Nation Thailand – Indonesia halal deadline puts Thai food exporters on clock
• The Star – Indonesia halal deadline puts Thai food exporters on clock
• ChemLinked – Indonesia to Mandate Pre-Shipment Halal Conformity Checks for Imported Foods
• VOV – Indonesia ready to cooperate with Vietnam in halal sector

Photos: Unsplash (Unsplash licence).