The Central Government has introduced new requirements for the export of specified meat and meat products to certain countries. These changes aim to ensure the compliance of exported products with Halal certification standards. These new requirements have come into force from October 16, 2024.
It may be recalled that the Ministry of Commerce & Industry had issued the Foreign Trade Policy 2023 on March 31, 2023. By the present notification, the central government now amends the Export Policy Conditions for Certain Meat and Meat Products.
For exports to listed countries, meat and meat products must be produced and processed in facilities certified under the India Conformity Assessment Scheme (I-CAS)- Halal.
Exporters must provide valid Halal certificates issued by a NABCB-accredited certification body to the buyer in the importing country.
For countries with specific regulations for Halal products, exporters must also comply with those requirements and provide relevant certificates.
The export of non-Halal certified meat and meat products remains unchanged.
List of Countries
The Government has listed the following countries where Halal certification is mandatory for meat and meat product exports:
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Malaysia
- Oman
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- Turkey
- United Arab Emirates
These new amendments will impact meat exporters to the listed countries. Exporters must ensure that their facilities are certified under I-CAS- Halal and obtain the necessary Halal certificates for their products.
