Halal blocked the trade agreement between Morocco and Indonesia for seven years
Trade negotiations between Morocco and Indonesia, launched in 2018, have remained frozen since 2019. The reason: the lack of mutual recognition of halal certifications. With this obstacle now overcome, Jakarta hopes to conclude a preferential agreement in 2027.
Indonesia wants to relaunch negotiations with Morocco. Indonesian Deputy Minister of Trade Dyah Roro Esti held a remote discussion with Morocco’s Secretary of State for Foreign Trade, Omar Hejira, to speed up the talks.
The two countries are notably considering setting up a joint working group. According to the Indonesian Ministry of Trade, Jakarta wants to conclude a preferential trade agreement with Rabat in 2027.
The first discussions had nevertheless begun in June 2018. They remained blocked from 2019 onward because of a regulatory dispute: halal certifications issued in one of the two countries were not automatically recognized in the other.
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This lack of recognition could force exporters to have their products certified a second time. This made access to the market more difficult, particularly in Indonesia, a country preparing to make halal certification mandatory across the board.
The obstacle was ultimately removed on May 20, 2026. The Indonesian Halal Product Assurance Agency, BPJPH, and the Moroccan Institute for Standardization, IMANOR, signed a mutual recognition agreement in Jakarta.
Trade worth 235 million dollars
The two organizations have since begun preparing the practical implementation of this agreement. According to the agency Antara, mandatory halal certification is due to enter into force in Indonesia on October 18, 2026, for several product categories.
The removal of this barrier therefore paves the way for a resumption of trade negotiations. Trade between the two countries had already reached approximately 235 million dollars in 2025, an increase of 33% in one year, reports Arab News. In the first five months of 2026, it was already approaching 180 million dollars.
Indonesia believes it has untapped export potential to Morocco, particularly for anhydrous ammonia, palm oil and frozen shrimp. Rabat, for its part, wants to use the archipelago as a gateway to the markets of Southeast Asia.
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Jakarta also sees Morocco as a privileged gateway to Africa, Europe and the Mediterranean basin. This complementarity nevertheless recalls the significant imbalance observed in certain trade partnerships of the Kingdom.
No agreement has yet been signed. For now, 2027 is a target set by Indonesia. After seven years of inactivity, the recognition of halal certifications has nevertheless removed the main obstacle preventing Rabat and Jakarta from moving forward.