The 18th China Pallet International Conference and the 2023 Annual Meeting of Global Pallet Entrepreneurs were held in Xi’an

The 18th China Pallet International Conference and the 2023 Annual Meeting of Global Pallet Entrepreneurs were held in Xi’an

The 18th China Pallet International Conference and 2023 Annual Meeting of Global Pallet Entrepreneurs, organized by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing and hosted by the China Material Handling & Logistics Technology Association Pallet Committee, was held in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province from November 29 to December 1, 2023.

This International Pallet Conference brought together industry elites from both domestic and international circles. It was a grand gathering for professionals in the pallet industry, serving as an important platform for annual reviews, the promotion and exchange of technical experiences, and for seeking cooperative partnerships. The conference was attended by delegates from Germany, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Denmark, Singapore, Latvia, and other countries. Additionally, representatives from Australia, Spain, Ukraine, Finland, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the United States, Chile, Taiwan (China), and Hong Kong (China) participated online. More than 530 delegates were present, including those from domestic and international pallet production and operation companies, raw material suppliers, pallet equipment manufacturers, equipment companies, pallet user companies, government agencies, industry associations, research institutions, and colleges. Centered around the theme of ‘Green, Cooperation, Sharing, Innovation,’ the conference facilitated discussions on new situations and changes in the pallet industry both domestically and globally, exploring new trends in the high-quality development of the pallet industry. Concurrently, an exhibition titled ‘New Pallet Products, Materials, and Processes’ was held, featuring 80 booths from 71 companies, showcasing the latest domestic and international pallet products, technologies, and services.

11.30 Opening Ceremony

Mr. Cai Jin stated in his speech that, looking at the current development situation, both China and the global economy have entered a period of transformational development. From the perspective of China’s economic development, the following three aspects are conducive to the development of China’s pallet industry: First, the continuous and stable improvement of China’s economy provides a solid market foundation for the development of the pallet industry. Second, the rapid development of China’s digital economy poses higher demands for the development of the pallet industry. Third, the continuous maturation of China’s supply chain development creates new opportunities for the pallet industry. Mr. Cai Jin emphasized that although there are many factors promoting the development of the pallet industry, in view of the current development of China’s economy, it is necessary to maintain a basic pattern of stable growth in terms of speed, and more importantly, to continuously improve in terms of quality. This includes the digital economy, advanced production organization methods, and innovation in supply chains. These not only bring new opportunities for the development of the pallet industry but also pose new challenges.

Mr. Bernd DOERRE briefly reviewed the fruitful achievements of the Belt and road Action of Pallet Sharing (BRAPS) and the visit of Chinese pallet enterprises to Europe in 2023 in his speech. He mentioned that a few days ago, the European Parliament passed the ‘Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation’ (PPWR). If this legislation is also approved by the European Council and the European Commission, starting from 2024, Europe will fully implement this new law concerning packaging reuse and recycling. These packaging regulations will not only affect logistics within Europe but will also impact the import and export trade logistics between other countries and Europe.

Mr. SUH Byong-Yoon stated that with the diversification of consumer demands, the distribution of wide variety of goods and small quantities are increasing in his speech. This trend is bringing about a new situation for the unitized logistics system based on logistics standardization. Standardization is needed from existing pallet units to smaller units, highlighting the importance of the express delivery packaging module system. To build an optimized B2C supply chain management network, it is crucial to expand the use of standardized logistics containers based on the unitized logistics system, thereby constructing a shared pallet system. This is also aimed at building an environmentally friendly logistics system and reducing the waste from logistics packaging that comes with the rapid development of life logistics.

Mr. SHUKUYA Hajime introduced a significant social issue in Japan, known as the ‘2024 Logistics Problem.’ Starting from April 2024, due to the shortage of truck drivers and stricter regulations on overtime for these drivers, there is a risk that goods may not be transported. Without taking measures, by 2030, even more goods may face transportation issues. To address this problem, the Japanese government is actively advocating for the promotion of palletized transportation and pallet rental within the industry and maximizing the use of standard pallets to facilitate recycling and circulation. Therefore, it is expected that the popularization and standardization of pallets in Japan will accelerate in the future. Mr. SHUKUYA Hajime expressed his hope for strengthening global cooperation to enhance the usage and standardization of pallets, thereby reducing labor, and improving logistics efficiency.

Mr. LOONG Kam Shing, in his speech, introduced the economic situation and the development of the pallet industry in Malaysia. Mr. LOONG stated that despite weak external demand, Malaysia’s GDP is expected to grow by 3.9% year-on-year in 2023 and slightly increase to 4.3% in 2024. In 2023, the annual production of pallets in Malaysia is expected to grow by 5% to 7% compared to 2022. Although this has not yet reached the sales volume before Covid-19, we remain optimistic about the new government’s ability to attract more foreign direct investment and increase domestic direct investment to meet economic growth.

Mr. QIAO Jigang introduced the overall situation of the logistics industry in Shaanxi and stated that Xi’an, as the starting point of the ancient Silk Road, an important city along the Eurasian Continental Bridge land corridor and the new western land-sea corridor, is also a major node city actively participating in the ‘Belt and Road’ initiative. Today, Xi’an has become a comprehensive logistics hub city with a ‘four-type logistics hub + backbone cold chain base’ model, despite not being located by the sea or along a major river. It plays a key role in the national logistics network as a critical node, an important platform, and a backbone hub, with excellent logistics infrastructure conditions. Furthermore, the continuous advancement of new technologies such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, big data, and cloud computing also provides a strong driving force for the upgrade of the logistics automation and warehousing equipment industry in Shaanxi, indicating a huge potential market demand for logistics pallets in the region.

11.30 Conference Speech

Enterprise Standards “Forerunner” Awards

In 2023, three companies in the pallet industry were honored with the title of 2023 Enterprise Standards ‘Forerunner’. These standards were officially released through the ‘Enterprise Standard Leader Management Information Platform’ (https://www.qybzlp.com), becoming ‘Forerunner’ in the field of enterprise standards for pallet rental services and other material handling equipment (steel flat pallets). The enterprise standard <Pallet Rental Service Management Specification> by Anhui Aipaide Intelligent Logistics Technology Co., Ltd. was recognized for the first time, while the enterprise standards <Steel Flat Pallet> by Nanjing Lanyuda Storage Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. and <Pallet Rental Service> by Shenzhen Pallet Sharing Technology Co., Ltd. were re-evaluated and honored again after a review of the previous year’s ‘Forerunner’. Additionally, in 2023, several other companies’ applications are currently in the public announcement stage, and it is expected that they will be approved in December.

Moderator

Exhibition Display

Concurrently with the conference, an exhibition titled ‘New Pallet Products, Materials, and Processes’ was also held. It featured 80 booths from 71 companies, showcasing the latest domestic and international pallet products, technologies, and services to the delegates.

Conference Live

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This conference received special support from Tederic Machinery, as well as sponsorship support from LogisALL Group, HAITIAN Plastic Machinery Group, Borch Machinery, Zhejiang Kaihua Logistics Technology, Bole Intelligent, LOSCAM Greater China, Jiangsu Zhonghe Intelligent, China National Packaging IOT, Jiangsu Qiancheng, Shanghai Lika, Zhongshan Woodware, Shenzhen Pallet Sharing, Shandong Tengbo, Tianjin Xinchuang, Chongqing Nuoxin, Xintong Mould, Qingdao Saifan, and other enterprises. It also received strong support from international associations such as the European Pallet Association, Asian Pallet System Federation, Korea Pallet and Container Association, Japan Pallet Association, Malaysia Pallet Association, and the National Wooden Pallet and Container Association of the USA, as well as the China Material Storage and Transportation Association, Shaanxi Province Logistics and Purchasing Federation, and pallet-related industry associations from various provinces and cities.

The conference was successfully held with the concern of various leaders and the support and cooperation of many guests and delegates. It allowed participants to further deepen their understanding of the latest developments in the pallet industry both domestically and internationally. Everyone gathered together to discuss the development prospects of China’s pallet industry, strengthen cooperation and communication between enterprises, and jointly promote the innovative and high-quality development of the pallet industry.