Indonesia's Mandatory Halal Rule to Hit Thai Food and Beverage Exporters from October 2026
Thailand's Office of Trade Policy and Strategy has warned exporters that Indonesia will require halal certification for all food and beverage products sold in its market from 17 October 2026. Processed food, seafood, dried fruit and beverage makers are among five groups told to prepare.
Indonesia tightens halal requirements
Thailand's Office of Trade Policy and Strategy (TPSO), part of the Ministry of Commerce, has warned Thai food and beverage exporters to prepare for Indonesia's expanded halal certification mandate, which takes effect on 17 October 2026. Under the measure, all food and beverage products must hold halal certification before they can be distributed and sold in the Indonesian market.
The change moves halal certification from a voluntary marketing feature to a mandatory condition of market access. Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim-majority country and one of Thailand's larger buyers of processed food in Southeast Asia, which makes the regulatory shift consequential for regional food and beverage trade.
Five groups of exporters in scope
According to TPSO, the Ministry of Commerce has flagged five groups of Thai operators that need to adjust to the new regime. The categories cited in the warning include makers of processed food, seafood, dried fruit and beverages — precisely the segments where Thailand has built a strong export position across the region.
For these producers, the requirement reaches beyond a single label. Halal certification typically covers ingredients, additives, processing lines, storage and logistics, meaning that companies may need to review their entire supply chain rather than the finished product alone. Firms that source inputs from multiple suppliers face the task of confirming that each component meets halal standards before the deadline.
What exporters must do before the deadline
TPSO urged operators not to wait, warning that certification involves documentation, auditing and verification that take time to complete. Businesses that fail to secure certification before 17 October 2026 risk losing access to the Indonesian market, or facing delays and additional costs at the point of entry.
- Confirm which products fall under the mandatory halal scope.
- Begin certification and auditing early to avoid a bottleneck near the deadline.
- Verify that ingredients, additives and processing meet halal standards.
- Review suppliers and logistics across the full supply chain.
The agency framed the message as a call to prepare rather than a barrier, noting that early certification can protect existing market share and even serve as a competitive advantage as the deadline approaches. Exporters that move first are better placed to keep shelves stocked in Indonesia while slower competitors scramble to comply.
Why it matters for regional trade
Indonesia's move is part of a broader tightening of halal oversight in one of the world's largest food-importing economies. For Thai producers of processed food, seafood, dried fruit and beverages, compliance is now the price of continued access to a market of significant scale. The eighteen-month runway before October 2026 gives exporters time to adapt, but the volume of certification work — spanning ingredients, plants and logistics — means the companies that start now will carry the least risk.