MATERIAL PRICES
Pallet Price Today: Price, Trends and Forecast 2026 | Tacto
11.05.2026
Current pallet price based on the EUR-1 exchange pallet benchmark for DACH (new pallet around 11.80 EUR per unit). Trend analysis on the two-tier market with oversupplied used pallets (three to five EUR below new), cost pressure on new pallets from the HPE index, energy and labour, and the indirect Iran-war effect through drying energy and container freight. Scenarios and procurement recommendations for European industrial buyers.
METHODOLOGY
For pallet pricing, the lead reference is the new EPAL exchange pallet price band tracked monthly by PalettenReport across over 1,500 reports, supplemented with the HPE solid wood for wooden pallets sub-index. Real procurement costs additionally include pallet class (new vs Class A/B/C), pool exchange logic, ISPM 15 heat treatment for export, logistics and seasonal demand, none of which are inside the wood index itself.
AT A GLANCE
- EUR-1 new exchange pallet DACH around 11.80 EUR, mild upward move in step with the HPE solid wood index.
- Used pallets remain oversupplied from pandemic-era inventory, spot prices three to five EUR below new pallets. Substitution option for non-critical product groups.
- The Iran war affects pallets indirectly through wood-base and drying-energy costs.
- EPAL reports stable licence-partner delivery volumes for Q1 2026, no significant delays.
Contents
What is moving the price right now?
EUR-1 new exchange pallet trades in DACH around 11.80 EUR per unit in early May, a 0.4 percent rise versus early April. The price moves in step with the HPE solid wood packaging index, which was rebased to 100 in January 2026 and currently sits around 102.5.
The market is two-tier. New pallets are under cost pressure from wood (HPE), energy (drying) and labour costs at EPAL licensed plants. Used pallets remain oversupplied from pandemic-era inventory that has not been fully worked down since 2024. Spot prices for B-grade run three to five EUR below new. For non-critical product groups, particularly in logistics pools and the multi-use exchange system, used is a real substitution option.
The Iran war and Hormuz situation act indirectly. First, higher energy costs hit drying and joinery operations. Second, container freight rates remain elevated. Third, wood imports from Scandinavia and Eastern Europe become slightly more expensive. The effects are small but measurable in margin calculations.
EPAL reports stable licence-partner delivery volumes for Q1 2026, with no significant delays or bottlenecks. HPE member producers note a mild pickup in order books, mainly from consumer-goods logistics. Industrial construction stays weak, which weighs on special and one-way pallet demand.
For the next four to eight weeks we expect EUR-1 new pallets in 11.50 to 12.30 EUR, with moderate upward pressure.
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What does this mean for European procurement?
For 12-month anchors on standard EUR pallets, an index clause on the HPE solid wood packaging index is the clean negotiation basis, with a cap-and-floor band of plus 6 to minus 4 percent. Moderate volatility allows tighter bands.
Audit used pallets for non-critical product groups actively. The oversupply is real, B-grade spot prices three to five EUR below new. For internal logistics pools with multi-use exchange systems, substitution is economically attractive without quality loss for most applications.
For special and one-way pallets in export packaging, watch the freight-rate and insurance component. Iran-war-related premiums act visibly here.
For international pallet contracts, audit EPAL licence-partner certification against the ISPM-15 heat treatment standard. Higher drying and energy costs have historically led some licence partners to shorten treatment, which triggered claims at import inspections.
Connect HPE index data and EPAL market benchmarks with your procurement contracts. Automated price escalation clauses and negotiation analytics.
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Pallet Price Forecast: Our Procurement Intelligence Team's Assessment
Base Scenario
For the next four to eight weeks we expect EUR-1 new pallets in 11.50 to 12.30 EUR. (1) HPE index mild upward pressure. (2) Used pallets remain oversupplied. (3) Energy costs elevated. (4) Stable EPAL delivery volumes.
Risk Scenario
In the risk scenario EUR-1 new pallets run to 12.30 to 13.20 EUR. (1) A Hormuz escalation lifts energy and logistics costs. (2) HPE index rises above 105. (3) Bark beetle damage in Eastern Europe hits supply. (4) Consumer-goods demand firms more sharply. Probability over eight weeks: 15 to 20 percent.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When your application is high-volume, closed-loop (same origin and destination), and geographically concentrated. In such scenarios, rising new-pallet costs combined with improved pool-system utilization (CHEP, iGPS, PECO) have shifted the total-cost-of-ownership calculus in favor of lease models for 2026. However, pool systems require operational discipline and asset-tracking capability — they’re not a universal replacement for owned pallets.
Most sensitive right now are ISPM 15 heat-treated export pallets, custom non-standard formats, and closed-loop high-volume applications evaluating pool systems. These segments are where heat-treatment capacity constraints, format premiums, and operational economics show up first.
Lumber is important but too narrow as a sole reference. While softwood lumber (typically 60–70% of pallet cost) is the dominant driver, procurement costs also reflect heat-treatment capacity constraints, format premiums, transportation, and manufacturer margins. For your price validation, a decomposition approach (lumber + treatment + format + delivery) is significantly more defensible than a single lumber price.
The indicator is a market anchor, not a 1:1 purchase price. It tracks the BLS Producer Price Index for Wood Pallets and Skids (WPU0841) and is supplemented with current pallet-specific lumber, heat-treatment, and supply chain intelligence. Your actual procurement costs additionally depend on pallet design (GMA 48×40" standard vs. custom), condition (new vs. reconditioned), ISPM 15 heat-treatment status, and whether you’re purchasing ownership or leasing via pool systems (CHEP, PECO, iGPS).
