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U.S. and China Reach Temporary Trade Agreement, Possible Outcomes Emerge - May 16, 2025
The Trump administration is actively in talks with Chinese officials to develop a long-term deal. But uncertainty remains after August when tariffs could be reimposed at higher levels.; New CLT Standards Developed, Including Hardwood Materials: A group of researchers has been exploring the feasibility of using hardwoods, primarily yellow poplar. The data generated helped pave the way for formal inclusion of hardwoods in the new standard. more...
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U.S. and China Reach Temporary Trade Agreement; Possible Outcomes Emerge - May 16, 2025
The Trump administration is actively in talks with Chinese officials to develop a long-term deal. But uncertainty remains after August when tariffs could be reimposed at higher levels.; Sam’s Club Changes Pallet Spec to Mandate Block Pallets Only: While a large percentage of the pallets going into Sam’s Club stores have been block pallets for a long time, the company earlier this year decided to completely eliminate stringer pallets.; Brambles Cuts Pallet Sales Forecast Due to Sluggish Retail Activity: Thanks to ongoing supply chain and asset productivity initiatives as well as overhead cost control measures, the company anticipates full year sales revenue growth around 4-5% with profit growth in the 8-11% range.; Recycle Bits: iGPS and its iDepot system streamline the recovery process. CBP recently highlighted its role in combating invasive species. more...
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Brambles Cuts Pallet Sales Forecast Due to Sluggish Retail Activity - May 9, 2025
Current macroeconomic conditions have prompted the company to narrow its outlook for FY25 sales revenue growth to the mid-to-low end guidance range. Thanks to ongoing supply chain and asset productivity initiatives as well as overhead cost control measures, the company anticipates continued strong profitability.; Paul A. Frank, Jr., Pallet Foundation Pioneer Passes Away: As one of the pioneers and leaders of the Pallet Foundation, Frank was a guiding force behind the early years of the organization. In addition, Frank served as a past president of the NWPCA.; Hinton Lumber Gears Up for Block Pallet Growth, Hires Industry Veteran as National Account Executive: Keith Reinstetle came out of retirement to serve as the company’s national account executive. Reinstetle has more than 40 years of pallet sales experience, specializing in developing national sales programs. more...
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Sam’s Club Changes Pallet Spec to Mandate Block Pallets Only - May 2, 2025
This change basically ends the flow of white-wood stringer pallets to the club store retailer. Product manufacturers must use 9-block pallets, either rental or white-wood options. Approved poolers for Sam’s Club are CHEP, Peco Pallet, Rm2 and iGPS.; Global Transportation Trends Suggest Pallet Activity May Drop This Summer: Concern is that many retailers pulled freight volumes forward to avoid tariffs. This will definitely depress pallet demand in the coming weeks and months for those involved with imports and retail activity.; Research Report Outlines Pallet Industry Trends During the Pandemic – Pt. II: Interestingly, 22% of respondents indicated that their sales were not affected by the pandemic. Many respondents saw a surge in sales during the pandemic despite some dips in March and April 2020. A surprising finding is that pallet brokerage supposedly decreased from 2016 to 2021 by 8%. But anecdotal evidence suggests the opposite.; Pallet Foundation Seeks Industry Help with Second Version of the Environmental Product Declaration: The data collection efforts this year are open to any pallet manufacturer or pallet recycler in the United States.The first step is to attend a live webinar to be held Wednesday, May 14 at 1:00 p.m. (EST). The final submission deadline is June 16th. The final submission deadline is June 16th. more...
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Research Report Outlines Pallet Industry Trends During the Pandemic – Part 1 - Apr 25, 2025
Overall, new pallet production skyrocketed by 45.8% from 2016 to 2019. Total new production topped out at 919 million in 2021. E-commerce sales grew nearly 30% during the pandemic. The other interesting trend is to see the high percentage of non-standard sizes needed, suggesting that there is still plenty of demand in the market for odd-sizes.; EU Tariff Response Update: The reality is that the 25% European Union countermeasure tariffs if enacted will only cover some hardwood and softwood species and products. more...
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Publisher Soap Box – Commentary: Trade War Puts Hardwood Exports in the Crosshairs, Shipments to China Come to a Standstill - Apr 18, 2025
As of right now, the largest export market for American hardwood logs and lumber is pretty much closed for business. The Chinese government announced last month that it was suspending processing of all U.S. log imports. The suspension however does not cover hardwood lumber or other wood products.; Raymond Gutierrez, Leader in the California Pallet Market, Passes Away: A fixture in the western pallet market, he began in 1974 what would become Commercial Lumber & Pallet Co., one of the largest pallet companies on the West Coast.; FCA Packaging Invests in Viking Packing Specialist: Viking is a manufacturer and distributor of custom wood crates, cases, metal containers, corrugated and dangerous goods packaging.; EU Announces Tariff Response, Some Lumber Categories Included: The specifics about the EU tariffs is better than expected according to the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC). Only about 10% of U.S. hardwood exports to the EU would be impacted by the 25% retaliatory tariff.; NEWS IN BRIEF: An Asian long-horned beetle was intercepted last month inside wood cargo packaging from Romania at the Port Huran rail yard in Michigan. more...
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Trump Administration Announces Regulatory Reforms for National Forests - Apr 11, 2025
This order directs the U.S. Forest Service to increase timber outputs, simplify permitting, remove National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) processes, reduce implementation and contracting burdens, and to work directly with states, local government, and forest product producers.; DOC Announces New Higher Countervailing Duties after Preliminary Review: The U.S. Lumber Coalition applauded the most recent duty rates, while the Canadian industry claims these duties are unfair and will hurt Canadian industry as well as American consumers. more...
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State of the Pallet Industry – AI on the Brain - Apr 11, 2025
The reality is that AI shows a lot of promise. But it is far from perfect, and any company that wants to keep up with the future needs to appoint executives or managers who will help guide their AI projects. Effective use of AI requires patience, trial and error and better data sets.; Recycle Record Adds Premium Pallet Prices: More states/areas will be added as we gather more data. That’s where we need your help. We need subscribers to submit data, both pallet users and pallet suppliers.; House Starts Increase Despite Market Concerns: Historically, housing activity has been a major barometer of lumber demand as well as pallet activity. While the market doesn’t look like it is going to collapse further, a significant surge doesn’t appear to be in the horizon either. more...
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State of the Pallet Industry: AI on the Brain – Part 1 - Apr 4, 2025
The reality is that AI shows a lot of promise. But it is far from perfect, and any company that wants to keep up with the future needs to appoint executives or managers who will help guide their AI projects.; Legislative Roundup – Tax and Transportation Policy: The Hardwood Federation trade group hopes that Congress will finally pass a five-year Farm Bill with strong forestry provisions. The Safe Routes Act bill would allow trucks traveling at the maximum gross vehicle weight on state roads to access the federal interstate highway system for short distances.; Senate Bill Aims to Help Forest Owners Recover after Natural Disasters: Previous disaster relief policies and programs provide much-needed relief for agriculture crops and farmers; however, they do not offer any economic relief for land owners whose timber crops were destroyed.; NEWS IN BRIEF: Conner Industries has acquired Kirkland Sales Inc., a custom foam fabricator. Billy J. Townley recently filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy for his three companies in Texas.; Auction: Premium Lumber Auction. April 14th, 9 AM EDT. Online and Phone bidding only. 20+ truckloads available. This auction offers a unique opportunity to purchase high-quality, fresh cut, notched #1 grade pallet stringers.; Profile Second Quarter Regional Lumber Trends: These graphs illustrate the average lumber prices published within each region over the past year. more...
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Action Steps to Reduce Your Insurance Risk Profile - Mar 28, 2025
The number of carriers offering coverage continues to dwindle as insurance companies look for more attractive sectors. Read about these best practices that insurance providers suggest for pallet companies to follow.; Marketing Gems – Promotion Starts with Thinking Like Your Customer: More than focus on what you have to sell, you want your content to cover key pain points and issues felt by pallet users. Everyone wants to attract more business, and in these competitive markets, it starts with thinking like your customer.; U.S. Lumber Coalition Calls Out Canadian Government Subsidies: In March, the Canadian government announced over $11.3 million in funding. The reality is that many countries, including the United States, subsidize some business activity through grants, loans, tax breaks and other funding mechanisms. more...
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