JD Logistics, the e-commerce marketplace arm of Chinese retail giant JD.com, has struck a deal with the European Pallet Association e.V. (EPAL) to use EPAL pallets throughout China and move toward its goal of building a "highly efficient supply chain ecosystem."

In a move that could improve the efficiency of pallet manufacturing and circulation, the partnership will enable JD Logistics to distribute EPAL shipping pallets to its to partners throughout China via JD Cloud Box.

JD Cloud Box is JD Logistics' self-developed logistics transaction platform, also offering repair and leasing services, and providing an online platform for real-time information and transactions.

EPAL is an open pooling system for logistics carriers founded in 1991, that grants licenses to carefully checked producers and repairers around the globe. It currently has more than 1,500 licensed production and repair operations in over 30 countries.

JD Logistics has set a high target for the expansion of its JD Cloud Box division, planning to drive the operation to become "the world's leading open trading platform for exchangeable logistics containers." Going forward, JD Cloud Box will use EPAL products as the standard logistics carriers throughout the supply chain system, including cross-border logistics.

"Our new partnership with EPAL brings us one step closer to making China's logistics industry the global 'smart' leader," Jie Ji, head of JD Cloud Box at JD Logistics, said in a statement. "Reliable access to high-quality pallets on an as-needed basis is crucial to ensuring a highly efficient supply chain ecosystem. We are making it much more convenient for companies across China to utilize EPAL's pallets in their operations, and raising the standard for China's logistics industry at large."