MATERIAL PRICES
Pallet Price Today: Price, Trends and Forecast 2026 | Tacto
03.08.2026
Current pallet price: EUR-1 new pallet DACH around 12.21 EUR per piece, tied to the HPE pallet solid wood index (July 2026: 110.27 points, up 16.5 percent on the prior year). Trend analysis on the PPWR reusable mandate in a good week (12 August), the roundwood relief still not coming through, and gas-driven drying and logistics costs. 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
- The HPE July value for pallet solid wood is out: 110.27 points (published 21 July), up 0.4 percent on the month and up 16.5 percent on the prior year; the pallet index keeps outrunning the packaging wood index (up 11.6 percent).
- Our EUR-1 indicator rises accordingly to 12.21 EUR per piece; market bands stay stable (full truckload around 10 to 13 EUR, single purchase 21.50 to 28.90 EUR).
- The PPWR deadline of 12 August is a good week away: anyone who has not completed the reusable-packaging switch now competes for tightening pooling capacity.
- The roundwood relief (120 to 123 EUR/cbm) still does not come through, because gas prices (up 30 percent on end-June), drying and logistics run against it.
Contents
What is moving the price right now?
The HPE July value is out, and it confirms the pallets' special path: the pallet solid wood index rose 0.4 percent to 110.27 points (published 21 July) and now sits 16.5 percent above the prior year, the largest year-on-year gap of all four HPE assortments. For comparison: solid wood for wooden packaging stands at plus 11.6 percent. The fresh, untreated pallet assortments hang on the tight roundwood market, and the expected relief from the spruce correction (120 to 123 EUR/cbm at end-June) did not arrive in July either: gas prices, drying and logistics consumed it (HPE/EUWID, 27 July).
At the same time the quarter's most important date is running out: in a good week, on 12 August, the PPWR reusable-packaging mandate for transport packaging takes effect; pallet wrapping and strapping stay exempt. Brought-forward purchasing supports demand for reusable pallets, and pooling capacity tightens in the remaining days. After the deadline this impulse should fade; September will show how much of it is structural.
The market bands themselves are stable: new pallets cost 21.50 to 28.90 EUR in single purchase, around 10 to 13 EUR in full truckloads. Overall demand stays subdued, with a continued shift to used pallets: class A at 11 to 13 EUR, B and C oversupplied. Our EUR-1 indicator follows the index to 12.21 EUR per piece.
What we watch: pooling availability around 12 August, the HPE August value as the test of the roundwood relief, and the energy cost pass-through of the pallet plants.
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What does this mean for procurement in Europe?
The PPWR switch is now a matter of days, not weeks: complete the inventory (what falls under the reusable mandate, what is exempt) and secure pooling capacity before the rest of the market does so on the deadline.
Run the roundwood-energy double calculation: the wood argument (120 to 123 EUR/cbm) remains correct, but the July index for now proves suppliers right who counter with energy and logistics costs. Require the separate disclosure of wood and energy shares; blanket increases based on the 16.5 percent year-on-year gap cannot be audited.
Keep bundling requirements into full truckloads (around 10 to 13 EUR instead of 21.50 to 28.90 EUR in single purchase) and use the oversupplied used classes: class A at 11 to 13 EUR covers many applications.
Keep anchoring standard EUR pallets to the HPE pallet solid wood index, with participation in falling values: if the roundwood relief comes through in August or September after all, it should arrive in your prices automatically.
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Pallet Price Forecast: Our Procurement Intelligence Team's Assessment
Base Scenario
In this band over the next four to six weeks. (1) The PPWR deadline of 12 August is imminent; brought-forward purchasing and tighter pooling capacity support demand short term, (2) the HPE July value shows energy and logistics costs currently overcompensating the roundwood relief, (3) used classes B and C stay oversupplied and cap the overall level. After the deadline the demand impulse should fade.
Risk Scenario
The HPE August value keeps rising towards 112, PPWR transition effects and EPAL capacity limits keep new pallets tight beyond the deadline, or gas prices run fully into drying and ISPM 15 treatment. Probability 20 to 25 percent over the next three months.
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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).
