A jacket priced at one thousand yuan carries fabric costs that account for sixty to seventy percent of its total. Above that fabric sits polyester filament, whose per-ton price leaped by more than two thousand yuan in less than two months. This chain from oil field to coat hanger is delivering a blunt reminder: pricing power in outdoor apparel does not rest entirely with brands.
Raw Material Surge: Polyester Leads, Accessories Follow
Polyester POY, the primary raw material for jacket fabrics, climbed from 7,000 yuan per ton in late January 2026 to 9,600 yuan by March 10, a gain exceeding 35 percent. Even after a pullback, quotes held at 9,325 yuan on March 17, well above the start of the year. Nylon and spandex, also petroleum-based, rose in tandem, with some polyester grades posting single-day increases above 20 percent or 2,000 yuan per ton.
Increases are not confined to main fibers. Functional accessories—DWR water-repellent coatings and seam tapes—derive from petrochemical intermediates, so cost pressure spreads across the entire supply chain. For outdoor apparel clusters such as Shengze and Keqiao, this wave of hikes is far broader than a routine adjustment in one input.
Industry Transmission: High Fabric Cost Share, Quantifiable Impact
Fabric costs represent 60 to 70 percent of a jacket's total cost, so raw material swings are quickly amplified at the garment stage. Industry estimates show that the polyester increase alone adds nearly 40 yuan to a mass-market jacket priced around 500 yuan, and 60 to 100 yuan to premium models above 1,000 yuan. Additional processing and logistics hikes further strain manufacturers.
Yet upstream cost increases do not instantly translate into retail price rises. The chain is undergoing a redistribution of profits, with midstream players bearing the brunt. One fabric exporter reported raising polyester product quotes by up to 15 percent, but export orders were typically priced at the end of last year and cannot be changed. With raw materials more expensive and selling prices fixed, the margin squeeze falls squarely on the fabric enterprise.
Structural Contradiction: Fixed Order Cycles vs. Volatile Markets
This is a classic textile industry dilemma: raw material prices shift with geopolitical and supply-demand dynamics, while order cycles are locked months ahead. When material prices spike during an order period, fabric mills and contract manufacturers face a choice—raise prices and risk losing orders, or absorb losses. For small and mid-sized enterprises, this two-way squeeze is becoming the biggest operational uncertainty.
Some brands, holding low-cost inventory from earlier purchases, can keep retail prices stable in the short term. But once that stock runs out and new purchases are made at elevated prices, cost pressure will gradually surface. The pass-through is delayed, but the pressure is real, and new-season products will face pricing challenges.
Practical Recommendations
For Buyers - Monitor upstream futures for crude oil, PTA, and MEG; secure fixed-price orders when raw materials are at low levels to avoid peak-season buying. - Establish price-adjustment clauses with suppliers that trigger when raw material fluctuations exceed a set threshold, sharing risk. - Evaluate alternative materials such as recycled polyester or bio-based fibers to reduce dependence on petrochemical inputs.
For Exporters - Shorten quotation validity from quarterly to monthly or index-linked floating quotes to reduce price exposure during contract periods. - Include raw material price adjustment clauses in contracts, specifying renegotiation when increases exceed a certain level, to avoid bearing all losses. - Use futures or forward contracts to hedge material costs, or sign long-term agreements with upstream suppliers to stabilize cost expectations.
The outdoor jacket market remains vibrant, but the industry's vulnerability is now exposed. As crude oil rides a rollercoaster, midstream and downstream companies need more than short-term responses—they need a supply chain risk management framework built to weather the cycle.