Elemi
Elemi is a soft pale oleoresin tapped from Canarium luzonicum in the Philippines, where it is also called Manila elemi. Fresh from the tree it is a soft honey-like mass that hardens and yellows on exposure to air, carrying a sharp lemon-pepper odour from its high limonene content. It is steam distilled into elemi oil for perfumery, where it serves as a fresh top note and a fixative, and the resin itself is used in varnishes, printing inks, ointments and plasters, in incense, and as a raw material for the elemicin and terpene chemistry trade.
Listed elemi markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Elemi is contracted on species, on the physical state of the resin as delivered, and on the volatile oil content, because the volatile fraction is what most buyers are actually purchasing. Soft and hard elemi are separate articles and they carry a temperature term.
Species and physical state as the contracted article
7 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Manila elemiCanarium luzonicum | The commercial article. Tapped in Luzon and the Bicol region. |
| Related Canarium speciesDeclared, with the binomial name | Canarium ovatum, Canarium indicum and others yield materially different oleoresin and they are priced apart from Manila elemi. |
| Soft pale elemiSoft, plastic, pale honey coloured | Fresh material with the volatile fraction intact. The article perfumery and distillation buy. |
| Hard elemiHardened, yellowed to brownish | Aged or heat exposed material that has lost part of its volatile fraction. A legitimate article for varnish and incense, never delivered against a soft pale contract. |
| CleaningDeclared | Picked free of bark, leaf and insect at origin, or delivered as tapped. It is the difference between paying resin prices for resin and for bark. |
| Distilled elemi oilDeclared, separately from the resin | Steam distilled from the oleoresin. A separate article with its own specification. |
| Resinoid and absoluteDeclared, with the extraction solvent | Solvent extracted forms, quoted with the solvent named because the destination regulation depends on it. |
Volatile fraction and composition
6 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Volatile oil contentPercentage by mass | Determined by hydrodistillation. The single number that decides the value of a soft pale lot. |
| LimonenePercentage of the volatile fraction, by gas chromatography | The dominant monoterpene and the source of the fresh citrus top note. |
| ElemolPercentage of the volatile fraction, by gas chromatography | The sesquiterpene alcohol that carries the woody base and the fixative effect. |
| ElemicinPercentage of the volatile fraction, by gas chromatography | A phenylpropanoid marker, restricted in some destination markets and therefore declared. |
| Alpha-phellandrene and para-cymenePercentage of the volatile fraction, by gas chromatography | Secondary monoterpene markers used to confirm species and freshness. |
| Chromatographic fingerprintFull chromatogram, retained | Compared against a reference chromatogram for the declared origin. The whole trace, not one peak. |
Resin constants
6 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Acid valueMilligrams of potassium hydroxide per gram | Free acid content, by titration. |
| Saponification valueMilligrams of potassium hydroxide per gram | Total acid and ester content. |
| Softening pointDegrees Celsius, ring-and-ball | Determined to ASTM E28 practice. Contracted for hard elemi, where it is the working number. |
| Ethanol-soluble matterPercentage by mass | The fraction that dissolves. The classical purity test for an oleoresin. |
| Resin acid contentPercentage by mass | The triterpene acid fraction remaining after the volatiles are stripped. |
| Colour and clarityDeclared, against a retained reference sample | Pale honey through to brownish. Matched to a sealed sample rather than scored. |
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
8 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. |
| Temperature and cold flowDeclared, with the maximum transit temperature | Soft elemi flows and hardens. The packing, the liner and the temperature term are all part of the contracted article. |
| Fragrance complianceDeclared, against the current IFRA standards | Elemi oil carries IFRA restrictions and allergen declaration obligations 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Philippines | Luzon, Bicol, Sorsogon, Quezon and Samar | Origin |
| Indonesia | Maluku, Sulawesi and Papua | Origin |
| Papua New Guinea | New Britain and the Islands region | Origin |
| Vietnam | Central highlands | Origin |
| Malaysia | Sabah and Sarawak | Origin and destination |
| Singapore | Singapore | Destination |
| France | Grasse and Paris | 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 |
| Switzerland | Geneva and Basel | Destination |
| Netherlands | Rotterdam | Destination |
| Spain | Barcelona and Valencia | Destination |
| Italy | Milan and Genoa | Destination |
| India | Mumbai and Kannauj | Destination |
| China | Shanghai and Guangdong | Destination |
| Japan | Tokyo and Osaka | Destination |
| South Korea | Seoul | Destination |
| Brazil | Sao Paulo | Destination |
| Canada | Ontario and Quebec | Destination |
| Australia | New South Wales | Destination |
| United Arab Emirates | Dubai | Destination |
| Turkey | Istanbul | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines | 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 DecTapping runs year round on a rotation of trees, with volumes thinning through the typhoon months from July to November when the uplands are hard to work. |
| Indonesia | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Apr to Oct, arrival Jul to JanCollection concentrates in the drier months, with smaller continuous volumes through the year. | ||
| Papua New Guinea | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest May to Oct, arrival Aug to JanDry season collection, consolidated at Lae and Rabaul. | |||
| Vietnam | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Mar to Aug, arrival Jun to NovSmaller volumes from the central highlands, moving out through Ho Chi Minh City. |
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 elemi. 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 oleoresins, other, including elemi
- 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 elemi does SIP Global trade?
We quote 34 published grades of elemi, including Manila elemi - Canarium luzonicum, Related Canarium species - Declared, with the binomial name, Soft pale elemi - Soft, plastic, pale honey coloured, Hard elemi - Hardened, yellowed to brownish, Cleaning - Declared and Distilled elemi oil - Declared, separately from the resin. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is elemi graded?
Elemi is contracted on species, on the physical state of the resin as delivered, and on the volatile oil content, because the volatile fraction is what most buyers are actually purchasing. Soft and hard elemi are separate articles and they carry a temperature term. Grading runs on 5 systems: Species and physical state as the contracted article, Volatile fraction and composition, Resin constants, Purity and contaminants and Origin, legality and delivery.
Where does SIP Global trade elemi?
We trade elemi in Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, France and United States and 15 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is elemi harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Philippines: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec; Indonesia: harvest apr to oct, arrival jul to jan; Papua New Guinea: harvest may to oct, arrival aug to jan; Vietnam: harvest mar to aug, arrival jun to nov. 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 elemi?
Elemi is normally classified under HS 1301.90 (natural gums, resins and oleoresins, other, including elemi). 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 elemi?
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. 1 listed elemi market is 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.
- ISOInternational Organization for Standardization
- ASTM InternationalMaterials and test method standards
- 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.