Global Halal Standardization and National Regulatory Dilemmas: An Islamic Legal Analysis of Indonesian Halal Certification in the Context of the Global Market

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the dynamics of global halal standardization and its implications for Indonesia’s halal certification regulation, while examining the maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah principles as a normative foundation for harmonization. Using a qualitative descriptive approach and library research method, the study analyzes legal documents (Law No. 33 of 2014 on Halal Product Assurance and its implementing regulations), global halal standards, and relevant scholarly literature. The findings show that global halal standardization has expanded through networks of state and transnational actors, yet remains fragmented due to differences in religious authority, audit procedures, economic–political interests, and legitimate fiqh divergence. Indonesia adopts a mandatory halal certification regime emphasizing regulatory sovereignty and precaution across the production chain; however, exported products often still undergo re-certification in destination countries. The mutual recognition issue indicates that cross-border acceptance of certificates is not merely technical but also normative, since it involves the legitimacy of fatwa-based authority. The study recommends a maqāṣid-based selective convergence strategy by strengthening halal standardization diplomacy, improving halal infrastructure capacity (inspection bodies, auditors, laboratories), and developing transparent and proportionate mutual recognition arrangements to enhance global competitiveness without undermining sharia certainty.