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he Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) has joined Malaysia’s halal e-commerce website to tap into a larger international consumer base for local products, while at the same time giving local consumers easier access to imported halal products.

The halal business sees a large market of 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide with a variety of products ranging from food, cosmetics, to pharmaceuticals. Markets for the halal business include the ASEAN region — led by countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, which have a large Muslim population — as well as the Middle East and North Africa.

Now that Indonesian businesses have joined Malaysia’s e-Halal, a commerce directory portal of halal products not only from Malaysia but other countries such as China and India, Kadin chairman Roslan P. Roeslani said the country should not only be a market for halal products but also a producer and supplier.

E-commerce platforms are becoming increasingly popular to showcase Indonesia’s potential, from big players to smaller enterprises, he added.

Current trends show that the halal business and market will continue to grow. In 2014, the global halal market value reached US$2.3 trillion.

“As long as there are Muslims in this world, the halal market will continue to thrive. We must see the business opportunity in this, while still upholding Islamic values,” Rosan said during an event to introduce e-Halal in Jakarta on Monday, adding that Indonesian products can be accessed through the official portal, kadin.ehalal.com.

Malaysia’s halal industry is more developed and advanced than Indonesia’s, but the latter could still
work to catch up and learn from Malaysia’s experiences. Indonesia’s potential is not only in food and beverage, Roslan explained, but also cosmetics, such as the popular Wardah, and fashion.

E-Halal director Michael Teh said although most of its suppliers were Malaysian, it hoped to add Indonesian suppliers to its list from the cooperation with Kadin. E-Halal was launched in Malaysia in May and now has hundreds of products, from prawn crackers and baby food to fresh vegetables and bath salts.

Michael said suppliers may join e-Halal for free, so long as their products are certified halal from the local issuing authority. From Indonesia, for example, products must receive halal certification from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).

“All our suppliers must be certified, and we will verify the certifications they upload. Our concept is to enable and safeguard halal suppliers to reach the world of e-commerce,” he said during the same occasion.

Malaysian International Trade and Industry Ministry’s Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC) CEO Dato Seri Jamil Bidin said Malaysia and Indonesia must cooperate in developing the halal industry, which holds large economic potential.

“Amid the increasingly borderless global trade, it is important to seize opportunities and develop with sophisticated technology like e-halal,” Jamil said.