The current market situation of exporting plastic pallets
Source: kuda 2025-05-08
With the acceleration of international trade and the increasing demand for logistics standardization, plastic pallets, as the core carriers of the global supply chain, continue to grow in market size. According to Statista data, the global plastic tray market has exceeded $12 billion since 2023, with a compound annual growth rate of 5.8%. Mature markets such as Europe, America, Japan, and South Korea account for over 60%, while emerging markets such as Southeast Asia and the Middle East are growing rapidly and have become the focus of competition for export enterprises.
Core driving force:
Cross border e-commerce outbreak: The increase in global e-commerce penetration rate drives the demand for cross-border logistics, and the usage rate of standardized pallets has surged;
Environmental policies are forcing: the EU's "Plastic Strategy" and the US's "Resource Conservation and Recycling Act" are promoting the transformation of traditional wooden pallets to environmentally friendly plastic pallets;
Popularization of automated warehousing: Plastic pallets have become standard equipment for intelligent warehousing due to their precise size and wear resistance.
Competitive advantages of Chinese plastic pallet exports
Scale production and cost advantages
China accounts for 33% of the global plastic product production capacity, and relying on petrochemical industry clusters (such as Zhejiang and Guangdong), enterprises can reduce costs by more than 30% through centralized procurement of raw materials (such as HDPE and PP). The automation upgrade of injection molding technology further reduces marginal costs, making domestic pallets highly competitive in international quotations.
Technical standards are in line with international standards
The leading enterprises have passed ISO 18613 (Pallet Performance Test), EPAL (European Pallet Association) and other certifications. Some manufacturers have developed "embedded RFID chip trays" to meet the smart logistics needs of Wal Mart, Amazon and other giants.
Barriers and coping strategies faced by exports
Technical trade barriers: The EU CE certification has strict requirements for the load-bearing and bending strength of pallets; The US FDA requires a 21 CFR 177.1520 testing report for food grade pallets;
Green trade barriers: Germany requires pallet carbon footprint to be less than 15kg CO2/kg; Australia implements new standard AS 4068-2023 to limit heavy metal content;
Pre certification: Cooperate with SGS, T Ü V and other institutions to obtain target market access qualifications in advance;
Industrial chain collaboration: Collaborate with shipping companies (such as Maersk) and overseas warehouse enterprises to develop a "pallet leasing+recycling" model, reducing customer initial investment;
Differentiated design: Introducing anti-static trays for the Middle East market and customizing non-standard sizes of 1.1m × 1.1m for Southeast Asian customers to meet regional logistics habits.
The export of plastic pallets has evolved from simple product trade to competition in supply chain integration capabilities. Enterprises need to use technological innovation as a spear and compliance management as a shield to build core competitiveness in the new pattern of globalization and regionalization.
2025-05-08
