Indonesian agarwood is priced by grade, not by weight alone. Plantation chips run roughly USD 500-7,000 per kilogram, from low-resin to super grades, while oud oil sits between USD 30,000 and 80,000 per kilogram (indicative, as of 2026). Legal export requires a CITES permit plus a BKSDA recommendation.
That spread looks extreme until you understand what you are actually buying. A chip’s price tracks how much fragrant resin the tree laid down, so two pieces of the same wood can differ in value by a factor of ten. This guide breaks down how graders sort the wood, what each tier costs in 2026, and how chips compare with distilled oud oil.
What decides an Indonesian agarwood grade?
Grade rests on three objective tests, not a seller’s label. Higher resin content is the common thread — it raises density, deepens aroma, and lifts the grade at the same time.
| Test | What it measures | Higher-grade signal |
|---|---|---|
| Density (water immersion) | Resin-to-wood ratio | The chip sinks instead of floating |
| Resin saturation | Visible oil in the grain | Black-brown “tiger-stripe” veining, not a uniform plastic-like black |
| Aromatic intensity | Fragrance released under heat | A strong, layered scent on a hot-plate or steam test |
One caution worth stating plainly: these grading systems are industry conventions that vary by region and tradition. Indonesia has no single official national standard for agarwood grades, so a “Super A” from one trader is not automatically identical to another’s.
What are the main Indonesian agarwood grades?
Indonesian chips are commonly sorted across about nine grades. The tiers buyers ask for most are Super A, Super B, and Super C, followed by Sabak; the remaining grades mostly describe wood size and resin quantity rather than a different quality class.
- Super A — densest, heaviest resin load, strongest aroma; the smallest share of any harvest.
- Super B / Super C — strong resin and scent, more available, the workhorse export tiers.
- Sabak and lower — lighter resin, larger or broken pieces, and powder-grade offcuts.
For a grade-by-grade breakdown mapped against current quotes, our agarwood price list lines each tier up with an indicative band so you can sanity-check any offer you receive.
How much does each grade cost in 2026?
Treat every figure below as a grade-dependent band, never a single number. A wide range is correct for agarwood — it is the honest way to price a product whose value is set by resin content.
| Category | Indicative band (2026) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Plantation chips, all grades | USD 500-7,000 / kg | Low-resin to super |
| Low grade (C/D) chips | USD 5-15 / 10 g | Retail buyer-guide context |
| Mid grade (B/A) chips | USD 20-60 / 10 g | Retail buyer-guide context |
| Premium Super A chips | USD 100-300+ / 10 g | Retail buyer-guide context |
| Oud / agarwood oil | USD 30,000-80,000 / kg | Export band |
| Natural oud oil | USD 200-1,000+ / ml | Retail context |
A common side-by-side used in buyer guides sharpens the picture further: wild A-grade chips at USD 50-120 per 10 g, cultivated B-grade chips at USD 20-40 per 10 g, and agarwood powder at USD 10-25 per 10 g. These are indicative; a final quote confirms grade and scope.
Chips or oud oil — why the price gap?
Oud oil is distilled from agarwood, and it takes a large volume of resinous wood to yield a small amount of oil. That conversion loss, plus the labour of soaking, fermenting, and slow distillation, is why oil bands land in the tens of thousands of dollars per kilogram while chips are quoted per 10 grams at retail. Chips suit incense, collectors, and Gulf and China buyers who burn the wood directly; oil serves perfumery.
How do plantation and wild prices compare?
CITES paperwork separates the two with a source code: P for plantation or artificially propagated material, W for wild. Plantation stock is generally easier to permit and more sustainable, which is why this desk works plantation-first and never facilitates illegal wild harvest.
The gap can be enormous. Market commentary in 2026 notes that superior pure wild agarwood can reach around US$290,000 per kilogram, while artificial or plantation material may sit near US$100 per kilogram — a reminder of how far the two ends have separated. Wild agarwood from Papua and Maluku is regarded as typically superior, and East Kalimantan, notably Apau Kayan, is a documented historical wild-sourcing area.
What did agarwood cost historically?
Historical records anchor today’s numbers. TRAFFIC’s report “Heart of the Matter: Agarwood Use and Trade” logged field data from Apau Kayan, East Kalimantan, in 1997, where “super grade A” agarwood was reported at IDR 1,250,000 per kilogram — about USD 450 per kilogram at the exchange rate of the time.
The state also taxed the trade. Under the Decree of the Minister of Forestry No. 606/Kpts-IV/1996, the Iuran Hasil Hutan forest-resource levy was set at IDR 20,000 per kg for damar gaharu (resin), IDR 20,000 per kg for gubal gaharu (the resinous inner wood), and IDR 15,000 per kg for kemedangan gaharu — each roughly USD 2 per kg at the quoted rate.
What permits does legal export require?
Most Aquilaria and Gyrinops species sit on CITES Appendix II, so international trade is allowed but regulated. Legal export requires a CITES export permit plus a BKSDA recommendation, and is subject to a Non-Detriment Finding confirming the trade will not harm wild populations. Indonesia’s 2024 NDF set a wild Aquilaria malaccensis quota of 24,110 kg. Moving processed wood between Indonesian regions also needs a Surat Angkutan Kayu Olahan (SAKO) transport permit, and harvest from State forests in Kalimantan requires a permit under Forestry Regulation No. 28.
This site is a sourcing broker and information hub, not a permit authority. We never sell permit certainty or guarantee customs clearance — always confirm the current requirements with the CITES Management Authority (Indonesia) and your import country before you commit to a shipment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do Indonesian agarwood prices vary so widely between grades?
Price tracks resin content, and resin varies enormously from tree to tree. A low-resin chip and a saturated Super A can come from the same species yet differ tenfold, because density, aroma strength, and how well the chip sinks in water all rise together. A wide, grade-dependent band is the honest way to quote it.
How can I tell a genuine Super A chip from a lower grade?
Look for three signals: the chip sinks in water, it shows black-brown “tiger-stripe” veining rather than a uniform plastic-like black, and it releases a strong, layered scent on a hot-plate or steam test. Because grading is a regional convention with no single national standard, always confirm the grade against a sample before buying.
Is plantation agarwood cheaper than wild agarwood from Indonesia?
Yes, usually by a wide margin. 2026 market commentary puts superior pure wild agarwood near US$290,000 per kilogram against roughly US$100 per kilogram for artificial or plantation material. Plantation stock also carries CITES source code P, making it easier to permit and more sustainable, which is why we source plantation-first.