Gum turpentine · UN 1299 · HS 3805.10
Steam-distil merkusii oleoresin and roughly one part in five comes over as turpentine. Indonesia makes about 17,000 tonnes of it a year — an α-pinene-rich feedstock that India already buys by the shipload.
Indicative ranges for Indonesian Pinus merkusii gum turpentine. Bars show the commercial range, not a single lot. Your lot COA governs.
The oil
One tap, two products
This oil is distilled from living-tree oleoresin, not recovered from kraft pulping. That matters downstream: no sulphur odour to strip out, a cleaner α-pinene cut, and a smell that fragrance houses can actually work with. It is the same tapping operation that produces our gum rosin — the two come off the same still.
Field-collected merkusii gum arrives from Java and Sumatra tapping blocks, screened and settled.
Pinus merkusiiLive steam carries the volatile terpenes overhead; the resin acids stay behind as molten rosin.
4:1 – 6:1 rosin : oilCondensate is decanted from water and dried down — this is where the acid value and moisture figures are won.
Acid value ≤ 1.0Filled into sealed steel drums under nitrogen where specified, then labelled as UN 1299 for the container.
180 kg netSpecification
Indicative, COA governs
Indonesian merkusii turpentine is dominated by α-pinene, with Δ-3-carene as the second component and β-pinene well behind it. Published analysis of Indonesian merkusii confirmed that the turpentine composition differs measurably between Sumatra and Java localities — so if your process is pinene-fraction sensitive, qualify one origin and stay on it.
| Parameter | Typical value | Method / note |
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Indicative commercial values for Indonesian gum turpentine oil, offered as a guide to what the material normally runs at. Composition varies by locality, tapping season and distillation cut — the Certificate of Analysis for your lot is the governing document.
Derivatives
What the pinene becomes
Turpentine still moves as a paint and varnish solvent, but the tonnage that leaves Indonesia goes into terpene chemistry — fragrance and flavour intermediates, and vitamin synthesis. India takes 87.67% of it, and that is exactly why.
Hydration of α-pinene is the classic route to α-terpineol — the lilac note in soaps, cleaners and disinfectants, and the volume outlet for Indonesian turpentine.
Isomerisation to camphene, then to synthetic camphor and borneol esters for pharma, plasticiser and devotional markets.
Linalool, citral, geraniol, nerol and the ionones downstream of them — the pine route into flavour and fragrance houses.
Polyterpene tackifiers for hot-melt adhesives and chewing gum base — the sister product to rosin esters.
The second-largest cut in merkusii oil. A route to carvone-type and menthol-adjacent intermediates, and to specialty solvents.
Artists' and industrial paint thinner, varnish solvent, wax and polish carrier, and rubber reclaim processing.
Market
Six quarters to June 2026
Upstream cost pressure and thin crude gum availability have pushed the assessed price up in every tracked market across six consecutive quarters. If your 2027 budget is built on 2024 numbers, it is already wrong.
USD per tonne. Hover any quarter to read all four markets at that point.
Source: IMARC turpentine price trend, Q1 2025 – Q2 2026
Nearly nine tonnes in ten go to India, where the terpene derivative industry sits. That concentration is the opportunity — every other market is under-served.
Source: Int. J. Sustainable Development & Planning 17(6), 2022
The same series as the chart, plus Belgium as the European reference. USD per tonne.
Source: IMARC turpentine price trend
Turpentine oil shipped out of Indonesia, tonnes per year. Volume is steady while price is not — which is what makes contract cover worth having.
Source: Int. J. Sustainable Development & Planning 17(6), 2022
Shipping & documents
Class 3 flammable liquid
Turpentine ships as a Class 3 flammable liquid under IMDG. That means DG documentation, a DG surcharge, limited stowage and a booking made further ahead than a rosin container. We handle the declaration; you should build two to three extra days into the schedule.
Request for quotation
Tell us the α-pinene floor you need, the tonnage and where it is going. The message writes itself and opens straight in WhatsApp — no form, no waiting on an inbox.
Before you order
Yes, against a contracted floor, tested before loading.
It oxidises on standing — keep it sealed, cool, dark and full.
One 20' container of drums, about 14.4 MT.
Ask — send the specification you need on WhatsApp.