Indonesia has the world’s largest Muslim population, with over 87% of its citizens practicing Islam. Halal consumption permeates all aspects of daily life, extending far beyond food to daily consumer goods such as footwear, apparel and leather products, all of which fall under halal compliance regulations.
Pursuant to Government Regulation No. 42 of 2024 and the latest provisions of the Halal Product Assurance Law, Indonesia will officially end the transition period for halal certification of imported consumer goods on October 17, 2026, and fully enforce mandatory halal entry requirements for daily commodities including footwear and leather goods. Enterprises may apply for certification voluntarily during the transition period; after this date, all imported shoes without valid halal certification will be prohibited from entry, circulation and sales.
As China’s core production and export hub for footwear, South China’s shoe manufacturers targeting the Indonesian market must obtain halal certification. It is no longer an optional market advantage but a mandatory requirement for smooth customs clearance and sustainable local market presence.
Smooth customs clearance is the fundamental prerequisite for export operations. With the implementation of Indonesia’s new halal policy on October 17, 2026, local customs supervision will be drastically tightened, and full-coverage halal compliance inspections will be carried out on all imported footwear, putting an end to the previously lenient entry policies. Under the new rules, all footwear and leather goods entering Indonesia must possess official BPJPH halal certification and complete filing registration. Non-compliant shipments face detention, return shipment and administrative penalties.
South China shoe factories mainly export leather shoes, casual shoes and sports shoes to Indonesia. Their production involves raw materials including leather, adhesives and auxiliary materials, which carry high risks of containing non-halal animal-derived ingredients and alcohol-based additives. Early halal certification enables full-chain compliance audits covering raw material sourcing, production and warehousing, fully aligning with Indonesia’s new regulatory standards, eliminating trade barriers and ensuring unbroken export supply chains.
Capturing market share stands as a core business priority. Indonesia boasts a huge halal market projected to exceed USD 28 billion in value by 2026, paired with robust consumer demand and continuously rising entry thresholds. Numerous small and medium-sized shoe manufacturers in South China flood the Indonesian market, resulting in fierce competition. Most local distributors, supermarkets and e-commerce platforms treat halal certification as a core cooperation criterion and prioritize compliant products.
Halal-certified footwear caters to local Muslim consumption habits, alleviating consumers’ concerns over raw materials and production processes and greatly boosting product recognition. This allows manufacturers to break free from vicious low-price competition and seize mainstream mid-to-high-end market segments.
Full-process standardized supervision drives enterprises to upgrade product quality. Halal certification is not merely a single product test, but a comprehensive audit spanning raw material procurement, manufacturing, warehousing, logistics and equipment sanitization. Certifications ban prohibited materials such as pork derivatives, leather from non-halal slaughtered animals and alcohol-containing additives, and mandate dedicated production equipment and segregated workflows.
Most South China shoe factories operate large-scale mass production lines. Rectifications required for halal certification optimize production systems and quality control procedures, reducing risks of raw material cross-contamination and irregular production processes to improve overall product quality and consistency.
In the long run, halal certification serves as a core credential for brand building and deepening market penetration across Southeast Asia. A valid halal certificate is not only a market access permit for Indonesia but also an international mark of product compliance, safety and quality, enhancing corporate brand credibility and securing stable customer resources. Furthermore, the halal compliance system established through certification enables enterprises to expand into other Southeast Asian halal markets including Malaysia and Brunei, broadening export coverage and laying a solid foundation for long-term cross-border trade growth.