2026 Sanya International Agarwood Conference Opens in November; Editorial Board Formed for World Agarwood Industry Blue Book

From a regional fair to an international platform

On 15 October a press conference in Haikou announced that the 2026 Sanya International Agarwood Conference, held together with the agarwood, huanghuali and jiangzhenxiang exhibition, will take place from 13 to 16 November at the Sanya International Yacht Exhibition Center. The event centres on the three signature aromatic woods of Hainan — agarwood, huanghuali rosewood and jiangzhenxiang — and combines an international contest, a premium material exhibition, an industry forum, cultural performances and trade matchmaking. It is hosted by the Hainan Agarwood Industry Federation and the Hainan Yazhou Culture Research Association.

A blue book for an industry short of shared data

One announcement drew particular attention: the overseas preparatory body's head, Chen Zhenduo, declared the formal establishment of the editorial board of the World Agarwood Industry Blue Book, with secretariats in Hainan as well as the Middle East, India, Indonesia and Japan, and a call for data and documentation now underway. The agarwood trade has long lacked a common statistical framework; output by producing region, trade flows and consumption scale are reported inconsistently. If the blue book can build an open data framework spanning production, trade and consumption, it would reduce information asymmetry and give smaller operators a reference point.

Day-and-night format and an "endless" fair

The organisers are also testing a day-and-night format: daytime sessions serve professional buyers from home and abroad, while evening sessions open to high-end visitors, extending effective business hours. After the fair, award-winning and selected exhibits will move into a permanent "endless agarwood fair" in Sanya, with exhibitors able to apply for extended terms. Backed by Hainan Free Trade Port visa-free access and zero-tariff imports of aromatic materials, Hainan is trying to turn agarwood from a local resource into an international platform for cultural consumption and trade.

This article is industry observation and educational summary only; it does not constitute trading or investment advice. Purchase agarwood only through legal channels with traceable, testable origin.