**Aquilaria malaccensis sits on CITES Appendix II, so exporting its gaharu is legal only with a CITES export permit backed by proof of legal origin. In Indonesia that means a BKSDA recommendation, KLHK legality documents, and quota compliance for wild-sourced wood. Always confirm current rules with the CITES Management Authority (Indonesia) and your import country.**
Ringkasan singkat: Aquilaria malaccensis (pohon gaharu) masuk CITES Appendix II. Ekspor yang sah wajib izin CITES plus rekomendasi BKSDA dan bukti asal-usul legal.
Gaharu Export is a sourcing broker and information hub, not a permit authority. Nothing here replaces the official finding of Indonesia’s CITES Management Authority.
What is Aquilaria malaccensis, and why is it regulated?
Aquilaria malaccensis is one of the main trees that produce gaharu — the resin-soaked heartwood the trade calls gubal at its finest and kemedangan for lighter grades. A healthy tree carries pale, near-worthless wood. Once it is wounded or inoculated with a fungus, it defends itself by depositing dark, fragrant resin, and that resin is what Gulf and Chinese perfumers pay for.
CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, placed the whole Aquilaria genus on Appendix II because wild stands across Southeast Asia were being cut faster than they regrow. Appendix II is not a trade ban. It is a controlled-trade tier for species that are not yet endangered but could become so without oversight. Trade stays open — it just has to be documented and sustainable.
What does CITES Appendix II require for export?
Appendix II fixes one hard rule: every international shipment needs an export permit from the exporting country’s CITES Management Authority. That permit is granted only after two official findings.
- Legal acquisition finding — proof the wood was obtained lawfully, not poached from protected forest.
- Non-detriment finding (NDF) — a scientific judgment that the export will not harm the survival of the species in the wild.
Without both findings on file, the permit does not issue, and customs on either side can seize the cargo. The importing country usually asks to see the export permit before releasing the goods, which is why paperwork errors, not the wood itself, sink most first-time shipments.
How does Indonesia apply CITES to gaharu?
Indonesia runs gaharu through the environment ministry, KLHK, which sets harvest quotas and confirms legal origin. For wild-collected wood, an exporter needs a recommendation from the local BKSDA (Balai Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam), the regional conservation office, before a CITES export permit can follow. Membership of ASGARIN, the national gaharu exporters’ association, is part of the expected trade record under 2023–2025 guidance.
This is where documented gaharu cultivation reshapes the whole compliance picture — a registered plantation with dated planting and inoculation records proves cultivated, non-wild origin, which is the cleanest way to satisfy the legal-acquisition finding. Trees typically need seven to fifteen years to mature before harvest, so those records also show the stock is genuinely farm-grown rather than laundered wild material.
What paperwork and timelines should exporters plan for?
The document set matters more than the shipment size. Missing one line item stalls everything.
| Requirement | Issued or held by | Notes (as of 2023–2025 guidance) |
|---|---|---|
| CITES export permit | CITES Management Authority (Indonesia) | Typically valid up to about 6 months |
| BKSDA recommendation | Regional conservation office (BKSDA) | Required for wild-sourced material |
| Legal-origin documents | KLHK | Distinguishes cultivated from wild |
| ASGARIN membership | Gaharu exporters’ association | Part of the expected trade record |
| Import permit / clearance | Destination country authority | Confirm before you ship |
Processing is not instant. Indonesian sources indicate CITES paperwork can take up to about 60 days for some destinations, so build that lead time into any contract. As one measure of scale, Central Kalimantan alone received an export quota of about 4,000 tons in 2023.
How do wild and cultivated sources differ under the rules?
The split is the single biggest factor in how hard, or easy, your permit path becomes.
- Wild-harvested wood must fit within the annual quota and carry a BKSDA recommendation, plus a non-detriment finding tied to that wild population.
- Cultivated (plantation) wood is proven through your own planting and inoculation paperwork. It sidesteps the wild-quota bottleneck and is the model regulators actively prefer.
Documented Indonesian supply regions include Kalimantan, Papua (around Jayapura and Merauke), Ambon, and Sumbawa. No public source names Bali as a production origin; Bali’s role is trade and logistics, not growing. Anyone claiming wild Bali gaharu should be treated with caution.
What is legal gaharu worth, and where is demand heading?
Prices swing enormously by grade, resin content, and whether the wood sinks in water. As a site-wide reference band, plantation gaharu chips run roughly USD 500–7,000 per kilogram (grade-dependent), and oud (agarwood) oil runs about USD 30,000–80,000 per kilogram — all figures as of 2026, indicative, with the final quote confirming grade and scope.
Demand supports the effort of doing this legally. Market reports across 2024–2025 project the global agarwood and oud market at around USD 23.47 billion by 2033, at roughly 7.12% compound annual growth from 2026 to 2033.
| Market signal | Figure (2024–2025 reports) |
|---|---|
| Global market by 2033 | ~USD 23.47 billion |
| CAGR 2026–2033 | ~7.12% |
| Asia-Pacific share by 2033 | ~47.8% (fastest-growing) |
| China share of global market | ~22.4% |
With Asia-Pacific forecast as the fastest-growing region at about 47.8% of the market by 2033 and China holding roughly 22.4%, the buyers most likely to want your Aquilaria malaccensis are exactly the ones who ask for clean CITES paperwork first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Aquilaria malaccensis need a CITES permit even if the tree was cultivated?
Yes. CITES Appendix II covers the species regardless of source, so plantation-grown Aquilaria malaccensis still needs a CITES export permit to leave Indonesia legally. The advantage of cultivated stock is proof of legal origin, which is easier to document and usually avoids the wild-harvest quota. Confirm current requirements with the CITES Management Authority.
Is Aquilaria malaccensis on CITES Appendix I or Appendix II?
Aquilaria malaccensis is on Appendix II, not Appendix I. That distinction matters: Appendix I effectively bans commercial international trade, while Appendix II allows regulated trade with an export permit and a non-detriment finding. So legal export is entirely possible, provided the permits and legal-origin documents are in order and verified for your destination.
How long is a CITES export permit for Aquilaria malaccensis valid?
Indonesian CITES export permits are typically valid up to about six months from issue, and processing itself can take up to around 60 days for some destinations. Ship inside the validity window — an expired permit means re-applying from the start. Because timelines change, verify the current validity and processing period with the CITES Management Authority before contracting.