Increasing wood prices are a challenge for the transport and pallet logistics sectors

European Pallet Association e.V. (EPAL)

PRESS RELEASE

Increasing wood prices are a challenge for the transport and pallet logistics sectors

The hike in wood prices that started last year has continued unchanged in 2021. Initially the Covid-19 pandemic led to a decrease in wood supplies from Scandinavia and Eastern Europe, but now the significantly stronger demand from North America and Asia is causing a further shortage of the high-quality coniferous woods (spruce, fir and pine) that are used to produce EPAL pallets. The shortage in pallet wood is has led to some delays in supply, and is pushing up the prices for pallet wood on an almost weekly basis, which is directly affecting the prices for EPAL pallets.

Producers of EPAL pallets are aiming to keep in constant contact with pallet wood suppliers and their customers to ensure the delivery of EPAL pallets and to fulfil the growing demand from the transport and goods logistics sectors for exchangeable EPAL pallets.

“In these difficult market conditions, the long-standing contractual relationships between the producers of EPAL pallets and their suppliers and customers, are of particular importance”, remarks Bernd Dörre, managing director of European Pallet Association (EPAL). “The mutual understanding for the current market situation – the hike in the wood and pallet prices, and planning reliability for the transport and pallet logistics sectors for the economic recovery – is the foundation for successfully overcoming the challenges resulting from the current wood shortage.”

The high demand globally for wood again illustrates the importance of the EPAL Euro pallet exchange pool for goods and transport logistics. The use of high-quality EPAL pallets allows repeated use over a period of 6–7 years on average, whilst quality-assured repairs of EPAL pallets by EPAL-licensed repair operations, mean that the service life can be extended further. This relieves the wood and pallet market and contributes enormously to fulfilling the growing demand for high-quality load carriers from retail, manufacturing and logistics companies. “When it comes to standardised wooden load carriers, in times of wood and pallet shortages, exchangeable EPAL Euro pallets play a key role in tackling the challenges. Wood is too valuable to use only once”, explains Bernd Dörre and points to EPAL’s campaign (‘More than one way’) to promote the open EPAL Euro pallet exchange pool.

For further press information:

European Pallet Association e.V. (EPAL)
Andrea Engels
T +49(0)211984804893
M +49 (0) 172 69 325 95
andrea.engels@epal-pallets.org
www.epal.eu