Benzoin
Benzoin is a balsamic resin tapped from the wounded bark of Styrax trees in Southeast Asia. It hardens into brittle amber to reddish tears with a sweet vanilla balsamic odour. It is used as a fixative and sweet note in fine fragrance and incense, as a flavour material, as the active resin in friar balsam and other pharmaceutical tinctures, and as a natural preservative and antioxidant in cosmetic formulation. It is also burned as a ritual incense across South and Southeast Asia and traded onward as resinoid and absolute for the perfumery trade.
Listed benzoin markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Benzoin is contracted on species first, then on the physical presentation of the sorted resin, then on the laboratory constants that separate the two pharmacopoeia articles. Siam and Sumatra benzoin are different goods and they are not interchangeable on a contract.
Species as the contracted article
3 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Siam benzoinStyrax tonkinensis | Tapped in Laos, Vietnam and southern China. Coniferyl benzoate is the dominant constituent and cinnamic acid is absent. The sweeter, cleaner article and the one perfumery specifies by name. |
| Sumatra benzoinStyrax benzoin and Styrax paralleloneurus | Tapped in Sumatra and Java. Contains cinnamic acid and its esters alongside benzoic acid, giving a darker, more styrax-like odour. |
| Species identityThin layer chromatography or high performance liquid chromatography against a reference | Run against the pharmacopoeia reference. Presence or absence of cinnamic acid is the classical discriminator between the two. |
Sorted presentation as the contracted article
6 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Almond, or tearsWhole separated tears | Individual amber to pale tears prised whole off the bark. The visual top of the ladder and the article the fragrance houses buy. |
| Block, or lumpAgglomerated mass | Tears fused with adhering resin into a mass, often with visible almonds embedded in a darker matrix. |
| SiftingsSmall broken pieces | Passes the sorting screen. A legitimate contracted article, priced against the almonds and never delivered in their place. |
| Dust and powderDeclared, with the mesh | Fines and deliberately milled resin, sold to extraction and to incense manufacture. |
| ColourDeclared, against a retained reference sample | Pale amber through to reddish brown. Contracted by matched sample rather than by any numeric scale, because natural resin colour is not a score. |
| Extract formsDeclared, with the solvent and the concentration | Resinoid, absolute and tincture, quoted with the extraction solvent named because the destination regulation depends on it. |
Composition and pharmacopoeia constants
7 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Total balsamic acidsPercentage by mass, expressed as benzoic acid | Determined after alkaline hydrolysis and titration. The core pharmacopoeia assay. |
| Coniferyl benzoatePercentage by mass, by chromatography | The dominant constituent of Siam benzoin and the marker for its identity. |
| Cinnamic acid and cinnamatesPercentage by mass, by chromatography | Present in Sumatra benzoin, absent in Siam. An identity test as much as a quality one. |
| VanillinPercentage by mass, by chromatography | The sweet note the perfumery buyer is paying for. |
| Acid valueMilligrams of potassium hydroxide per gram | Free acid content, by titration. |
| Ethanol-insoluble matterPercentage by mass, maximum | Bark, dirt and non-resinous material left behind after dissolution in ethanol. The classical cleanliness test for a balsamic resin. |
| Loss on dryingPercentage by mass, maximum | Determined by oven drying. |
Purity and contaminants
7 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Loss on drying, or moisturePercentage by mass, maximum | Determined by oven drying or by the entrainment method. It is the weight the buyer is not paying resin prices for, and it drives caking in the drum. |
| Foreign organic matterPercentage by mass, maximum | Bark, leaf, soil, sand, insect and any plant material other than the named exudate, separated by hand and weighed. |
| Total ashPercentage by mass, maximum | Mineral residue after incineration. |
| Acid-insoluble ashPercentage by mass, maximum | The sand and silica fraction. The classical measure of how the material was collected off the ground. |
| Heavy metalsMilligrams per kilogram, maximum | Lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, against CXS 193. |
| Microbiological limitsColony forming units per gram, maximum, with the pathogen absence criteria | Total viable count, yeasts and moulds, Escherichia coli and Salmonella. Contracted where the material enters food, pharmaceutical or cosmetic manufacture. |
| Pesticide residuesMilligrams per kilogram, maximum | Multi-residue screen against the destination market limits. |
Origin, legality and delivery
7 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Botanical originDeclared, with the binomial species name | The genus alone is not a specification. Related species yield materially different material and they are priced apart. |
| Wild harvested or cultivatedDeclared | It drives availability, legality documentation and, in several of these articles, the chemistry. |
| Legality and collection permitDeclared, with the permit reference | Export permit, forest concession or community collection agreement. Wild resins move on paperwork and it travels with the lot. |
| CertificationCertificate, with the scheme and the certificate number | Organic, FairWild, Fair for Life or a private buyer standard, named on the contract when it is contracted. |
| PackingDeclared | Jute or polypropylene bags, cartons, fibre drums, steel drums or bulk bags, with the liner specified. Soft resins are contracted with a temperature term because they cold flow. |
| Sampling planDeclared | How many packages are sampled, by whom, and against which retained reference sample. Hand sorted natural material is heterogeneous between bags. |
| Fragrance complianceDeclared, against the current IFRA standards | Benzoin materials carry IFRA restrictions and allergen declaration obligations. The declaration is written into the contract for fragrance destinations. |
Grades outside this list trade on request. Send us the contract specification you work to and we will price against it.
Locations
| Country | Region | We trade it as |
|---|---|---|
| Laos | Houaphanh, Luang Prabang and Xieng Khouang | Origin |
| Vietnam | Northern highlands | Origin |
| Indonesia | North Sumatra and Aceh | Origin |
| Thailand | Northern provinces | Origin and destination |
| China | Yunnan and Guangxi | Origin and destination |
| Malaysia | Peninsular Malaysia | Origin and destination |
| India | Mumbai, Delhi and Kannauj | Destination |
| France | Grasse and Paris | Destination |
| Switzerland | Geneva and Basel | Destination |
| United States | New Jersey, New York and California | Destination |
| United Kingdom | London and the South East | Destination |
| Germany | Hamburg and North Rhine-Westphalia | Destination |
| Netherlands | Rotterdam and Amsterdam | Destination |
| Spain | Barcelona and Valencia | Destination |
| Italy | Milan and Genoa | Destination |
| Japan | Tokyo and Osaka | Destination |
| South Korea | Seoul and Busan | Destination |
| Singapore | Singapore | Destination |
| United Arab Emirates | Dubai | Destination |
| Saudi Arabia | Jeddah and Riyadh | Destination |
| Turkey | Istanbul and Izmir | Destination |
| Brazil | Sao Paulo | Destination |
| Canada | Ontario and Quebec | Destination |
| Australia | New South Wales and Victoria | Destination |
Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.
Timing
Harvest is when the material is tapped or gathered at origin. Arrival is when a shipment from that origin typically lands in a consuming market. The gap between them is drying, hand sorting, grading, laboratory clearance and the voyage.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laos | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Mar to Aug, arrival Jul to DecTapping runs through the dry into the early wet season, with the resin left on the tree to harden before collection. Sorting into almonds and siftings adds weeks before shipment. | ||
| Vietnam | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Mar to Aug, arrival Jul to DecSame tapping pattern as neighbouring Laos, with more of the crop moving out through Haiphong and Ho Chi Minh City. | ||
| Indonesia | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecSumatra benzoin is tapped through the year on a rotation of tapped trees rather than in a single season, so availability is continuous rather than harvest driven. |
| Thailand | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Mar to Jul, arrival Jul to NovSmaller volumes, and a significant re-export and consolidation point for Lao material. | |||
| China | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Apr to Aug, arrival Aug to DecYunnan and Guangxi production is largely consumed domestically in incense and traditional medicine. |
Windows outside this pattern trade on request, including carry, forward positions and stock already sitting in a destination warehouse.
Customs, packing and contract terms
Indicative terms for benzoin. Tariff classification is the importer’s responsibility and limits change, so confirm both against the destination customs authority and the current regulation before you fix a contract.
- HS heading1301.90 Natural gums, resins and balsams, other, including benzoin
- PackingJute or PP bags of 25 kg to 50 kg for tears and lumps, fibre drums or lined cartons for hand sorted and graded material, steel drums for rosin and oleoresins.
- Container loading20ft: 12 t to 20 t depending on grade and bulk density. Hand sorted grades ship light.
- Contract and arbitrationSale on the sorted grade with a retained sealed sample and a certificate of analysis. European trade on the terms of the importing association, arbitration under ICC rules or at the contract seat.
- Destination limitsEU food additive specifications under Regulation 231/2012 where the gum is an additive, covering E414 gum arabic, E413 tragacanth and E904 shellac. Pesticide and heavy metal limits, EU REACH for technical grades, phytosanitary certification, and CITES where the botanical source is a listed species.
Common questions
What grades of benzoin does SIP Global trade?
We quote 30 published grades of benzoin, including Siam benzoin - Styrax tonkinensis, Sumatra benzoin - Styrax benzoin and Styrax paralleloneurus, Species identity - Thin layer chromatography or high performance liquid chromatography against a reference, Almond, or tears - Whole separated tears, Block, or lump - Agglomerated mass and Siftings - Small broken pieces. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is benzoin graded?
Benzoin is contracted on species first, then on the physical presentation of the sorted resin, then on the laboratory constants that separate the two pharmacopoeia articles. Siam and Sumatra benzoin are different goods and they are not interchangeable on a contract. Grading runs on 5 systems: Species as the contracted article, Sorted presentation as the contracted article, Composition and pharmacopoeia constants, Purity and contaminants and Origin, legality and delivery.
Where does SIP Global trade benzoin?
We trade benzoin in Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Malaysia, India and France and 16 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is benzoin harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Laos: harvest mar to aug, arrival jul to dec; Vietnam: harvest mar to aug, arrival jul to dec; Indonesia: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec; Thailand: harvest mar to jul, arrival jul to nov; China: harvest apr to aug, arrival aug to dec. Harvest is when the lot is taken at origin, arrival is when a shipment from that origin lands in a consuming market. Windows outside this pattern, including carry, trade on request.
What is the HS code for benzoin?
Benzoin is normally classified under HS 1301.90 (natural gums, resins and balsams, other, including benzoin). The heading follows the form the goods are in at the border, and national tariffs extend it beyond six digits, so confirm the full line with the destination customs authority before you fix a contract.
How do I get a price for benzoin?
Send the grade, the origin and the delivery window to the SIP Global desk. That is enough for a trader to come back with a level and a settlement route. 2 listed benzoin markets are published on this page, each with its full specification and terms. We take both sides, physical and financial, prompt to long dated.
Standards and data sources
The grading language on this sheet follows published standards. Trade volumes and tariff lines are public record. Verify anything here against the source.
- Codex AlimentariusFAO and WHO food standards
- UN ComtradeOfficial international trade statistics by HS code
- ITC Trade MapBilateral trade flows and tariff data
- FAOSTATFAO production and trade series for agricultural commodities
Price this with our desk
Grade, origin and window if you have them. If what you are carrying does not fit the sheet above, describe it in your own words and a trader will take it from there.