In France, the National Union of the Pallet Industry and Services (SYPAL) already predicted, in its press release of November 2013, an increase in the price of pallets throughout 2014, due to the increase in the cost of wood .
In said statement, SYPAL remarked that wood represents between 70% and 75% of the cost of the pallet. In addition, the wood used to manufacture the pallets must meet the highest demands, due to its resistance and characteristics, and the need to use the center of the tree trunks to obtain square angles.
This is confirmed again with the information published in the United Kingdom by the Timber Packaging & Pallet Confederation (TIMCON), after an international meeting with members of the sector from the United Kingdom, Ireland and various countries of continental Europe.
Greater globalization also makes it difficult for manufacturers in any sector to accept increases in the costs of pallets. To this must be added the growing demand for wood from growing markets, such as China and the Middle East, which, although it increases the export figures of wood-producing countries, reduces the availability of raw material for the manufacture of pallets.
Due to its specifications, the pallets require wood with characteristics suitable for construction, more demanding than for the production of paper, vegetable fuel or certain types of furniture. Currently, various sources confirm that in several countries around the world, including the United States and the United Kingdom, a start to recovery from the crisis is already being seen, with a housing construction market that is beginning to experience growth and, with it, a greater demand for wood as a raw material, thus reducing the availability of wood for the manufacture of pallets.
Therefore, an increase in the price of wooden pallets is expected throughout 2014. The increase in the price of wood will also affect the price of used pallets, due to a higher cost of the material necessary for their reconditioning.
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