Indonesian Halal Market: There is still much room for Vietnamese businesses

Increasing exports of Halal products to the Indonesian market opens up great opportunities for Vietnamese businesses, but also requires strict compliance with quality standards.

Halal market - lots of room for Vietnamese businesses

On the morning of April 28, 2025, the workshop "Promoting international cooperation in the Halal industry between Vietnam and Indonesia" took place, organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) in coordination with the Indonesian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City.

Mr. Tran Phu Lu - Director of Ho Chi Minh City Center for Trade and Investment Promotion

Speaking at the event, Mr. Tran Phu Lu - Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) - said: Vietnam and Indonesia are constantly strengthening economic cooperation, aiming for sustainable development and mutual benefit. According to the Customs Department, in the first quarter of 2025, the two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and Indonesia reached 4.2 billion USD, an increase of 17% over the same period. Of which, Vietnam's exports reached 1.4 billion USD, focusing on key products such as coffee, plastic materials, iron and steel, textiles, phones and components. However, this result is still not commensurate with the potential for cooperation between the two major ASEAN economies.

In Ho Chi Minh City alone, in 2024, trade turnover with Indonesia reached 1.6 billion USD, up 23% over the previous year. In the context of general export difficulties, this result shows that the city needs to continue promoting trade and better exploiting potential areas.

The global Halal market is forecast to generate trillions of USD each year and continue to grow strongly, opening up great opportunities for Vietnamese businesses.

The Halal industry is opening up a large space. It is forecasted that by 2033, the global Halal market could reach nearly 6,000 billion USD for food and beverage alone and about 10,000 billion USD for the entire industry. Indonesia, with more than 280 million people, mostly Muslims, is the world's largest Halal market and an opportunity for Vietnamese businesses to boost exports. However, strict Halal standards and complicated certification processes will be significant challenges for businesses.

“To support businesses, ITPC coordinated with the Indonesian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City to organize this event, to concretize the bilateral cooperation commitment after the two countries upgraded their relations to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in March 2025. The two sides also agreed to promote cooperation in new areas such as digital economy, green economy and AI technology solutions and especially Halal products,” the Director of ITPC emphasized.

Strengthening Vietnam - Indonesia cooperation in the field of Halal

At the workshop, Mr. Agustaviano Sofjan - Consul General of Indonesia in Ho Chi Minh City, affirmed that upgrading the Vietnam - Indonesia relationship to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has special significance, creating a solid foundation to expand multi-field cooperation between the two countries.

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Mr. Agustaviano Sofjan - Consul General of Indonesia in Ho Chi Minh City

Mr. Agustaviano Sofjan also said that the Halal industry will be one of the focuses of cooperation in the coming time, not only serving the needs of the Muslim community but also attracting global consumers thanks to its commitment to quality and safety. Indonesia, as the largest Muslim country in the world, is willing to share experiences and support Vietnam in developing Halal products, especially in the fields of food processing, cosmetics, tourism and financial services. At the same time, he called on the business communities of the two countries to proactively connect and participate in specialized forums to exploit cooperation potential.

Also at the workshop, Ms. Soneta Asmara - Consul in charge of the Indonesian Economy in Ho Chi Minh City - commented that in the context of declining globalization and fragmented global supply chains, promoting bilateral cooperation and regional connectivity will be the key to promoting growth.

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According to Ms. Soneta Asmara, Indonesia and Vietnam are emerging as two economic growth engines in the ASEAN region thanks to favorable factors such as young populations, high urbanization rates, strong infrastructure investment and the ability to attract foreign direct investment (FDI). At the same time, the two countries are actively participating in Free Trade Agreements and developing strategic industries such as electric cars, green energy and high technology.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hang - Marketing Director of Halal Certification Agency (HCA) Co., Ltd.

From a professional perspective, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hang - Marketing Director of Halal Certification Agency (HCA) Co., Ltd., shared detailed information about the Halal certification process in Indonesia. According to Ms. Hang, most products imported into Indonesia must have Halal certification by October 17, 2026 according to Regulation No. 42/2024. Products that do not meet Halal standards will have to be clearly labeled "Non-Halal".

The Halal certification process includes application assessment, on-site inspection, certification, and then the business needs to register on the Indonesian SIHALAL system and comply with BPJPH labeling regulations. Vietnamese businesses can apply through BPJPH-accredited organizations such as HCA, with requirements for Halal supervisors and SJPH standard No. 20/2023.

“We will accompany and support Vietnamese businesses throughout the process of Halal certification and labeling, helping products easily penetrate the Indonesian market as well as other Muslim countries,” Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hang committed.

Through the workshop, ITPC hopes to help Vietnamese businesses access in-depth, practical information about the Halal market. At the same time, it will expand opportunities to connect with partners, contributing to promoting economic exchanges and deepening the cooperative relationship between Ho Chi Minh City and Indonesia.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/thi-truong-halal-indonesia-con-nhieu-du-dia-cho-doanh-nghiep-viet-385225.html