Our export price for binchotan is about US$1,350 per ton FOB Surabaya, which works out to roughly US$1.35 per kilogram at the port in Indonesia. That is a wholesale price for a full container. It is high for charcoal because of how binchotan is made: the wood is fired at around 1,200 °C, and only about 9 % of the raw wood by weight comes out of the kiln as finished charcoal.
What that price looks like in practice
| Unit | Indicative price, FOB Surabaya |
|---|---|
| Per ton | about US$1,350 |
| Per kilogram | about US$1.35 |
| Per 15 kg export carton | about US$20.25 |
| Per 20 ft container (12 tons, 800 cartons) | about US$16,200 |
Indicative figures as of October 2026. The price for an order is confirmed on the proforma invoice and can move with the size mix, the volume and the exchange rate.
Why binchotan is expensive
About eleven kilograms of wood for one kilogram of charcoal
With a yield of around 9 %, every kilogram of binchotan starts as roughly eleven kilograms of wood. Most of the weight leaves the kiln as water vapour and gas. Ordinary black charcoal keeps much more of the wood, because it is never taken to the same temperature.
The final firing at around 1,200 °C
At the end of carbonisation the kiln is opened and the charcoal is fired until it glows, at about 1,200 °C. This is the step that burns off the remaining volatile matter and gives binchotan its density, its high fixed carbon and its clean burn. It is also the step that costs the most material: part of the charcoal itself is consumed in that fire.
Hand work at every stage
The glowing charcoal is raked out of the kiln and smothered in ash, earth and sand, then cleaned, sorted by length and shape, and packed. None of this is automated, and sticks that break or fall outside the size grade are sorted out.
Dense hardwood only
We use palawan, a dense hardwood from Kalimantan. Whole hardwood costs more than the offcuts and sawdust used for pressed charcoal, and it has to be brought from Kalimantan to our kilns in East Java.
What our FOB price includes
- Included: the charcoal, packed in 15 kg cartons with an inner plastic bag, delivered to the loading port in Surabaya.
- Not included: export clearance and documentation costs, ocean freight, cargo insurance, import duty and taxes, and delivery from the destination port to your warehouse.
We help arrange export clearance for you. Its cost is not part of the FOB price; it is billed together with the shipping costs.
To estimate your landed cost, add those items to the FOB figure. Freight for charcoal can be higher than for ordinary cargo because it ships as dangerous goods. Our importer's checklist covers the shipping side.
Why retail prices are so much higher
The price a restaurant or home cook pays per kilogram in the destination country is several times the FOB price. Freight, duty, the importer's and retailer's margins, storage and repacking into small bags all sit between the port in Surabaya and the shop shelf. Japanese binchotan made from ubame oak sells at a further premium.
Price per kilogram is not cost per service
Binchotan burns slowly, and sticks that are put out properly after service can be lit again. A kitchen uses fewer kilograms per service than it would of lump charcoal, so the gap in running cost is smaller than the gap in price. See binchotan vs ogatan vs lump charcoal for where each fuel makes sense.
How to compare two quotations
- Same price term. FOB and CIF are not comparable without adding freight and insurance.
- Same product. Whole-wood binchotan and sawdust-based ogatan are priced differently.
- Same grade. Check stick length, diameter and whether the sticks are round or split.
- Net weight. Compare price per kilogram of charcoal, not per carton.
- Moisture. Water in the charcoal is weight you pay for. Compare the as-received moisture on each lab report.
- Fixed carbon. A cheaper charcoal with lower fixed carbon gives less heat per kilogram.
For a price on your size mix and volume, request a quotation. Minimum order is one 20 ft container.
Looking for a binchotan supplier?
CV. ABRA produces binchotan white charcoal in Indonesia in sizes S, M and L, minimum one 20 ft container FOB Surabaya. See the product range or request a quote.
More articles
- What Is Binchotan? White Charcoal Explained for Chefs and Buyers
- Binchotan vs Ogatan vs Lump Charcoal: Which Should a Grill Kitchen Use?
- How to Read a Charcoal Lab Report: Fixed Carbon, Ash and Volatile Matter
- Buying Binchotan Wholesale from Indonesia: An Importer's Checklist
- How to Light Binchotan Charcoal, With or Without a Chimney
- Binchotan Charcoal for Water: How to Use It and What It Really Does