After the COVID-19 pandemic initially led to a decline in wood deliveries from Scandinavia and Eastern Europe, the drastic increase in demand from North America and Asia is now causing a further shortage of high-quality softwood (spruce, fir and pine), which is used for the production of EPAL pallets.
shortage of high-quality softwoods (spruce, fir and pine), which are used for the production of EPAL pallets. The shortage of pallet wood is leading to delivery delays in some cases and causing the price of pallet wood to rise almost weekly, which has a direct impact on the price of EPAL pallets.

EPAL pallet manufacturers are in constant contact with pallet wood suppliers and their customers to ensure the supply of EPAL pallets and to meet the growing demand from transport and goods logistics for exchangeable EPAL pallets.

"In this difficult market situation, the long-standing contractual relationships between the manufacturers of EPAL pallets and their suppliers and customers are of particular importance," says Suzane Giurlando, Managing Director of EPAL Germany. "Mutual understanding of the current market situation - rising timber and pallet prices and planning security for transport and pallet logistics in the event of an economic recovery - is the basis for successfully overcoming the challenges posed by the current timber shortage."

The high global demand for wood once again demonstrates the importance of the EPAL Euro pallet exchange pool for goods and transport logistics. The use of high-quality EPAL pallets is the basis for multiple use over an average period of 6-7 years. With the quality-assured repair of EPAL pallets by EPAL's licensed repair companies, the service life can also be extended. Both relieve the wood and pallet market and make a significant contribution to meeting the increasing demand from
demand from companies in trade, production and logistics for high-quality load carriers. "When it comes to standardized wooden load carriers, exchangeable EPAL Euro pallets are a key contribution to overcoming the challenges in times of wood and pallet shortages. Wood is too valuable to be used only once," explains Suzane Giurlando, referring to EPAL Germany's campaign to promote the open EPAL Euro pallet exchange pool.