Indonesia launches D‑8 Halal Expo 2026 targeting $500 bn trade goal

Indonesia, as chair of the Developing Eight (D‑8) group, opened the Halal Expo Indonesia (HEI) 2026 in Jakarta on July 8‑12. Deputy Foreign Minister Anis Matta said the expo aims to accelerate intra‑D‑8 trade toward a $500 billion target by 2030, building on current trade of $150‑160 billion after Azerbaijan joined the group in 2025. Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa highlighted the event as a platform to attract investors from the Islamic world, promote domestic halal production and support SMEs, citing plans to develop local gelatin to replace uncertain imports. D‑8 Secretary‑General Sohail Mahmood described the expo as a catalyst for coordinated policy, trade and investment among member states, with the longer‑term goal of making Muslim‑majority countries leading players in the global halal market, which is now dominated by China, Brazil and the United States.