Coconut shell charcoal and briquettes
Indonesia is the world's leading exporter. In 2024 it supplied 80% of Saudi Arabia's shell-charcoal imports by value, and 59% by weight.
Coconut shell charcoal burns longer, hotter and cleaner than wood charcoal and leaves less ash, which is why it dominates shisha and premium barbecue. Indonesia is the leading supplier: in 2024 it exported US$199 million of shell charcoal, more than twice the Philippines, the next-largest exporter.
Buyers are separated by four numbers: ash content, moisture, burning time and fixed carbon. Premium shisha grade demands low ash and no odour. Anything above specification on ash will be rejected by a lounge buyer on first use.
Competition from China and Vietnam is growing, so consistency across shipments matters more than the price on a first container.
Specifications
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| HS code | 4402 (wood charcoal, including shell or nut charcoal) |
| Forms | Cube, hexagonal, finger, flat; raw shell charcoal |
| Key specs | Ash content %, moisture %, fixed carbon %, burning time, calorific value, no spark, no odour |
| Sizes | 25 mm, 26 mm and cube variants, to buyer requirement |
| Certifications | Fumigation; certificate of analysis; charcoal is classified as a dangerous good for sea freight by some carriers — confirm UN 1361 handling and any self-heating test requirement with your forwarder before booking |
We are completing supplier verification on this family. Minimum order, lead time and port of loading are quoted per enquiry. Ask us and we will tell you what we have confirmed and what we have not.
Price logic
Ash content and burning time set the grade and therefore the price. Private-label packaging adds cost but is standard for lounge and retail buyers. Raw shell feedstock has tightened as Indonesian processing demand grows. Freight and the dangerous-goods classification can add more than expected — cost it before you quote.