Resin tapping in pine forests can provide multiple ecological and economic benefits. Extraction of resin from living trees implies, however, vast and periodical traumatisms that may have significant impacts on key vital functions such as growth, reproduction and resistance to biotic aggressors. These side effects of resin tapping need to be carefully assessed before fostering the activity, especially when proposed as a complementary exploitation of timber-oriented forests. Here, we studied traits related to growth (tree ring width), defences (resin ducts and chemical defences assessed in different tissues and relative positions in relation to the tapped wounded area), tree physiology (nutrient content, specific leaf area (SLA), relative water content (RWC), pigments) and reproduction (cone and seed size and yield) in resin-tapped and untapped control trees in two maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) forests in NW Spain, a region where pines occupy vast areas and are typically managed for timber purposes. Results indicated a strong and consistent local defensive response at the two sites with larger resin flow and greater content of non-volatile resin, phenolics, tannins, and flavonoids in the phloem above the wounded area. Qualitative changes in the terpenoid profile of the produced resin were also evident. No significant effects of resin tapping were observed on radial growth or reproduction. However, local induction of chemical defences was accompanied by reductions in the concentration of some chemical compounds in top branches of the crown as well as a reduction in the concentration of nutrients in the needles. This suggests that the local defensive responses to resin tapping were not free of some physiological costs. A trend to impact growth as the successive resin campaigns accumulate also point in this direction. Altogether, results suggest that resin tapping has effects on tree physiology, but these effects were either positive or had little practical consequences for health, growth, and reproduction.