How Somali Frankincense Is Collected, Sorted and Exported
Understanding how Somali frankincense reaches a European warehouse helps buyers judge quality, lead times and traceability. Here is the journey from tree to port.
Harvesting and tapping
Frankincense is harvested by making shallow incisions in the bark of wild Boswellia trees in the highlands of northern Somalia. The trees exude resin that hardens into tears over a period of weeks. Harvesting communities typically work the stands during dry-season windows. Responsible harvesters rest trees between seasons to help protect long-term tree health.
Drying
Collected resin is dried in ventilated stores until its moisture content falls toward trading specification. Proper drying matters: over-moist resin can risk spoilage and inflates shipping weight.
Sorting and grading
Dried resin is hand-sorted to remove bark and debris, then graded by tear size, colour and clarity against an indicative standard. This is where consistent quality is created — or lost. For more, see how frankincense is graded.
Packing
Graded resin is packed into food-grade liners inside woven PP or jute sacks, commonly 25 kg, with lot labels. Sacks are prepared for palletised shipment.
Export and shipping
Shipments leave through Somali ports, feeding via regional hubs toward world markets. The documentation set — which can include certificate of origin, phytosanitary certificate, packing list and commercial invoice — is confirmed per order. Buyers can contract on FOB, CIF or DAP terms. Read more about how we work, review our wholesale Boswellia frereana, or request samples.
References & further reading
- International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) — Incoterms® 2020. iccwbo.org. Supports the FOB/CIF/DAP contracting options described.
- International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) — phytosanitary certification. ippc.int. Supports the export-documentation description.
- Thulin, M. (2020), "The genus Boswellia (Burseraceae): The Frankincense trees", Symbolae Botanicae Upsalienses 39: 1–149. Botanical background on Somali Boswellia species and distribution.
External references are provided for background. They are not endorsements, and buyers should independently verify regulatory, botanical and safety information for their own market and application.