Indonesia Defends Halal Rules Amid US Trade Criticism
Indonesia’s Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the nation’s largest Muslim group, has defended the country’s mandatory halal certification for imported goods after the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) labeled the policy a “technical barrier to trade,” Jakarta Globe reported. NU Chairman Yahya Cholil Staquf asserted Indonesia’s sovereign right to enforce halal standards, calling them essential for its Muslim-majority …