On June 26, the polyester filament market in Shengze and Jiaxing, two major textile clusters, showed subtle shifts: major polyester plants maintained list prices but actual transaction prices softened, with some factories directly cutting prices by 50-100 CNY/ton. This reflects dual pressures from weakening upstream raw material costs and cautious downstream procurement.
Cost and Demand Weakening in Tandem
Recent minor declines in international oil prices quickly transmitted to the polyester upstream chain. Softer feedstock costs directly undermined cost support for polyester filament, forcing factories to offer hidden discounts or direct price cuts. Meanwhile, downstream weaving and texturing enterprises significantly reduced purchasing activity, prioritizing inventory digestion over spot replenishment. This cycle of wait-and-see and destocking has intensified sales pressure on polyester plants. From an industrial transmission perspective, the resonance of upstream loosening and downstream caution is the core driver of the current price center shift.
Product Differentiation: Resilient Demand for Specialized Items
Despite overall market weakness, product performance within polyester filament diverged significantly. DTY 75D/144F and 150D/288F network yarns maintained decent sales, with the former benefiting from stable demand in warp knitting and the latter flowing to water-jet looms for brushed fabric and circular knitting machines for coral fleece. Bright FDY 150D/84F saw strong sales due to recovering demand for polyester-nylon blended fabrics, with prices stable at 8,200-8,300 CNY/ton. Black FDY 75D also showed demand in imitation memory fabrics, quoted around 8,800 CNY/ton.
In contrast, FDY fine denier categories such as 60D/24F and 75D/36F saw declining procurement, and fully matte FDY 50D/48F sales remained weak. This indicates a market preference shift away from conventional specifications toward functional and differentiated products. POY sales were generally lackluster, with texturing mills showing insufficient purchasing power and weak demand for POY used in networking, suggesting potential adjustments in downstream texturing capacity utilization.
Yarn Market: Pressure on Pure Polyester Yarn, Volatility in Viscose
Mirroring the polyester filament market, the yarn segment also faced adjustment pressure. Pure polyester yarn prices fell, with 45s variety maintaining relatively better sales, but overall trends dragged by declining polyester staple fiber prices—the 1.56*38mm cotton-type average fell to around 7,700 CNY/ton. Cotton yarn remained stable, with 32s and J40s selling well, supported by demand from air-jet nylon-cotton fabric production. Polyester-viscose yarn 40s/2 saw increased trading volumes but stable prices. Polyester-cotton yarn 65/35 had low volumes and steady prices, while 80/20 and 90/10 varieties both saw price cuts. Viscose yarn 30s remained actively traded, but overall prices fluctuated, with viscose staple fiber center price at around 14,000 CNY/ton.
Outlook: Short-term Weakness, Focus on Inventory Digestion
Synthesizing trends in both polyester filament and yarn, the textile raw material market is currently in an adjustment window characterized by declining costs and cautious demand. For polyester filament, with upstream feedstock cumulative declines being significant, market wait-and-see sentiment is unlikely to improve in the short term. Downstream weaving and texturing enterprises are primarily digesting inventories, with insufficient spot procurement, sustaining sales pressure on polyester plants. Industry insiders generally expect polyester filament prices to continue a weak, volatile downward trend over the weekend.
For industry participants, the key variables at this stage are inventory digestion speed and end-order recovery. If downstream weaving initiates restocking after price adjustments, the market may stabilize in early July; conversely, persistent demand weakness could open further downside.