Hainan Governor Visits Hainan Commodity Exchange Agarwood Base: What 'One Tree, One Certificate' Blockchain Certification Means

Bottom line: The agarwood industry is moving from 'judging by eye' to 'judging by certificate.' The advancement of traceability certification systems is a tangible benefit for ordinary consumers buying agarwood.

1. Event Recap

According to the Hainan International Commodity Exchange (HICE), on October 22, Liu Xiaoming, Deputy Secretary of the Hainan Provincial Party Committee and Governor of Hainan Province, led a delegation to visit the HICE agarwood variety base. They toured the nursery, the agarwood product display area, and the planting areas, and received reports on the agarwood industry's 'two exemptions, two guarantees' project and its standardized management system.

The key point of the visit that deserves attention from all agarwood consumers is the industry standardization management system built by HICE in collaboration with professional agarwood institutions, as well as the 'one tree, one certificate' certification scheme implemented using blockchain and other technologies—each resin-producing tree corresponds to an on-chain certificate, making the entire chain from planting and resin formation to finished product verifiable.

2. Why 'One Tree, One Certificate' Is a Big Deal for the Industry

The biggest pain point in the agarwood market has never been 'lack of supply,' but rather lack of trust:

1. Authenticity relies on eyesight. Traditional trading relies heavily on experiential judgment. Fraudulent methods such as oil soaking, oil compression, and scented wood have cost beginners dearly.
2. Sources are unclear. Agarwood (including qinan) is mostly derived from tree species listed in CITES appendices, making legal source documentation crucial. 'Black material' and 'material of unknown origin' have long been a gray area in the industry.
3. Lack of grading standards. The same piece of material is casually described as 'sinking grade' or 'qinan grade' without verifiable evidence.

The 'one tree, one certificate' approach is precisely pushing these three pain points toward 'verifiability': trees have records, certificates are traceable, and sources are checkable. When a governor-level inspection focuses on this link, it signals that the direction of industry governance is clear—clearing the source and improving quality and efficiency.

3. Three Takeaways for Consumers

4. Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can blockchain traceability guarantee that the agarwood is genuine? Not entirely. Traceability solves the problem of 'where this tree/this batch of material came from.' The authenticity and grade of the finished product still require test reports and sensory evaluation. Only when both are combined can a complete chain of trust be formed.

Q: What should ordinary enthusiasts pay attention to when buying bracelets now? Prioritize merchants who can provide third-party test reports and clearly state the origin and resin formation method. Be wary of unsubstantiated claims such as 'ancestral old material' or 'top-grade sinking.'

5. Our Observations

From 'one tree, one certificate' to the establishment of the editorial board for the World Agarwood Industry Development Blue Book, and Guangdong's legislation to include agarwood among key protected Lingnan medicinal materials, the main themes of the industry in the second half of 2026 are very clear: standardization, certification, and branding. For consumers, this is a good time to buy agarwood—the era of certificates is arriving.

This article is compiled from information from the Hainan International Commodity Exchange and public reports. It is for industry information sharing only and does not constitute trading advice.

Related Reading: How to Identify Genuine and Fake Agarwood | What Is the Difference Between Sinking Grade and Floating Grade