The implementation of mandatory halal certification in Indonesia is no longer limited to the food and beverage sector.
Based on the regulatory phases of the Halal Product Guarantee Agency (BPJPH), consumer goods such as textiles and textile products (TPT) are also being targeted for inclusion in the halal ecosystem.
While the goal is to strengthen Indonesia’s position as a global center for the sharia economy, the readiness of the national textile and garment industry currently faces complex structural realities.
From an upstream perspective, the Indonesian Fiber and Filament Yarn Producers Association (APSyFI) views this regulation as an administrative and operational challenge.
APSyFI Chairman Redma Gita Wirawasta has emphasized that the burden on the textile and garment industry is already very heavy due to the weakening exchange rate, soaring energy costs, and a flood of illegal imports.
“Adding the requirement for halal certification to fibre and yarn products which naturally do not use animal ingredients will create an additional cost burden that will further erode the thin margins of domestic producers,” Wirawasta said.
“Strict oversight of auxiliary substances like lubricants or spinning oil is indeed necessary, but it is hoped that the bureaucratic process will not reduce the competitiveness of the local industry as it struggles to recover,” he added.
In the downstream sector, small-scale garment and garment industry players face technical obstacles in traceability.
Nandi Herdiaman, Chairman of the Association of Creative Garment Entrepreneurs (IPKB) noted that the majority of SME’s in the garment industry are highly dependent on the availability of easily accessible local raw materials.
“If local fabrics or yarns are required to be halal certified but the upstream ecosystem is not fully prepared, the SME garment supply chain will be disrupted,” Herdiaman observed.
For garment entrepreneurs, halal certification requires a deep technical understanding of raw materials, dyes, and washing processes, which are often not well communicated to the artisan level.
The industry believes that the essence of domestic market protection lies not only in product certification, but also in how these regulatory instruments can filter the onslaught of imported apparel products that enter without regard for local standards.
“Therefore, fair supervisory treatment is needed to prevent increased pressure on local products, preventing imports from easily escaping regulatory oversight,” stakeholders stated.
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