In the 35th week of 2026, the textile commodity market presented a striking divergence: polyester staple fiber (PSF) surged 5.19%, PTA climbed 4.10%, while spandex, cotton, and acrylonitrile declined. This split reveals a delicate balance between upstream cost-push and downstream demand absorption. For procurement professionals, these price movements are not just numbers—they signal a need to recalibrate supply chain strategies.
Cost Pass-Through and Demand Resilience: Why Chemical Fibers Strengthened
PSF led with a 5.19% weekly gain, rising from RMB 7,816.55 to 8,222.50 per ton, up 26.75% year-on-year. This was not an isolated case—PTA jumped 4.10% with a staggering 38.43% YTD increase, while polyester DTY, FDY, and POY rose 1.22%, 0.93%, and 0.43%, respectively. Behind these figures lies a cost-push dynamic along the PX-PTA-polyester chain, combined with a moderate recovery in downstream apparel orders. Interestingly, PSF’s surge occurred despite a decline in cotton prices, suggesting that its rally is driven by its own supply-demand tightness rather than substitution demand.
The nylon segment showed broad gains: POY, FDY, and DTY rose 1.71%, 1.62%, and 1.55%, with year-on-year increases between 15% and 24%. This synchronized upward movement reflects firm support from caprolactam feedstock and stable demand from sportswear and outdoor gear. Viscose staple fiber and spun rayon yarn rose 0.97% and 0.96%, respectively, indicating a balanced market for regenerated cellulose fibers. Cotton yarn 21S and 32S increased by 1.43% and 0.90% despite falling cotton prices, highlighting squeezed spinning margins and strong price support by mills.
Signals from Declining Products: Spandex, Cotton, and Acrylonitrile
Spandex fell 1.69%, the largest weekly drop, with prices sliding from RMB 29,500 to 29,000 per ton, though still 19.59% higher year-on-year. The decline likely reflects a rational correction after previous steep gains, coupled with ample inventories and slower procurement by downstream fabric mills. For spandex producers, this suggests that peak margins may have passed, and capacity expansion plans warrant scrutiny. Cotton dropped 1.30%, falling below RMB 18,200 per ton, with year-on-year gains narrowing to 17.71%. The approaching new cotton harvest is releasing supply pressure, and downstream mills are purchasing on a need-to basis, keeping the cotton market under pressure. This contrasts sharply with PSF’s rally, prompting cotton-chain participants to reassess the economics of raw material substitution.
Acrylonitrile declined 0.87%, yet its year-on-year increase of 41.37% remains the highest among all monitored products. This pullback offers only marginal relief to downstream acrylic and ABS sectors, but the high absolute level persists. Raw silk rose merely 0.70% and is down 8.67% year-on-year, indicating weak momentum in the sericulture industry and sluggish recovery in high-end silk demand. Polyester yarn prices remained flat, failing to follow raw material gains, which underscores the weak pricing power of the spinning segment and further compression of processing margins.
Profit Redistribution and Procurement Strategy Adjustments
The average weekly change was 1.05%, but volatility varied significantly across products. Chemical fiber feedstock rose more than yarn, indicating that profits are shifting upstream. PSF’s 5.19% surge versus polyester yarn’s 0% change highlights improved margins for staple fiber producers, while spinners struggle to pass on costs. This profit allocation may prompt some mills to adjust product mixes toward higher value-added items or use futures tools to lock in raw material costs.
For foreign trade companies, export quotes for chemical fiber fabrics may need upward adjustments, but overseas clients may resist price increases with a time lag. It is advisable to include price adjustment clauses in contracts or adopt short-term order strategies to mitigate raw material volatility. Meanwhile, the moderate gains in nylon and viscose provide room for price increases on differentiated products; companies should promote high-count and functional fabrics to capture premium orders.
Outlook: Near-Term Strength but Cautious of Correction Risks
From a cost perspective, PTA’s 38.43% year-on-year surge has reached historical highs; if crude oil retreats, cost support for chemical fibers may weaken. On the demand side, retail data for textiles and apparel have not shown explosive growth, implying that the current rally is cost-push rather than demand-pull. Therefore, chemical fiber prices may maintain a firm but volatile trend in the short term, with a medium-term correction risk. Buyers are advised to maintain reasonable inventories and avoid chasing highs, while monitoring leading indicators such as new cotton prices, crude oil trends, and downstream loom utilization rates.