In the last week of June 2026 (June 22-26), textile commodity prices showed a rare divergence. Cotton yarn 21S and 32S edged up 0.14% and 0.10%, respectively, while the chemical fiber raw material chain experienced a collective sell-off, with acrylonitrile plunging 6.92% and PTA falling 5.10%. The overall textile sector averaged a weekly decline of 1.65%.
Cotton Yarn Stands Out: Cost Support and Demand Resilience
Among the 17 monitored textile commodities, only cotton yarn 21S and 32S recorded gains, albeit modest. Cotton yarn 21S closed the week at 23,400 yuan/ton, up 7.50% year-on-year, while 32S ended at 24,725 yuan/ton, up 6.57%. This contrasts with the 1.23% decline in raw cotton to 17,417.67 yuan/ton, which was still up 16.08% year-on-year. The resilience of cotton yarn prices suggests that downstream weaving mills are willing to replenish stocks despite high raw material costs.
Feedback from major cotton textile clusters in Shandong and Henan provinces indicates that mill operating rates remain around 70%, with orders mostly short-term and small-lot. Domestic market preferences for pure cotton products continue to support yarn prices. However, the spread between cotton yarn and raw cotton has narrowed, squeezing spinning margins. If raw cotton prices continue to weaken, cotton yarn may face downward pressure.
Chemical Fiber Chain Crashes: Capacity Release Meets Weak Demand
The chemical fiber raw material side was the epicenter of this week's price decline. Acrylonitrile fell 6.92% from 10,833.33 yuan/ton to 10,083.33 yuan/ton, though year-on-year it was still up 25%. This sharp single-week drop signals a reversal in supply-demand dynamics. PTA fell 5.10% to 5,734 yuan/ton, and polyester filament yarn varieties (POY, DTY, FDY) declined between 1.62% and 2.60%. Polyester staple fiber also fell 0.91%.
The core driver of this collective decline is the double squeeze of capacity release and weak demand. New PTA capacity came online in the first half of the year, while downstream polyester plants, facing weaker-than-expected textile and apparel export orders, are operating at only 80% capacity, purchasing raw materials on a hand-to-mouth basis. For acrylonitrile, demand from ABS resin and acrylic fiber continues to shrink, and some maintenance restarts have exacerbated oversupply.
Spandex and nylon products saw relatively moderate declines (0.56% to 1.21%), but their year-on-year increases remain high, especially spandex at +21.09%, indicating that earlier cost-push inflation has not been fully absorbed, leaving downstream weaving mills under cost pressure.
Downstream Implications: Procurement Window and Risk Warnings
For fabric and garment buyers, the current decline in chemical fiber raw material prices implies that grey fabric costs will gradually ease. Polyester DTY fell 2.60% to 9,368.75 yuan/ton, and polyester FDY fell 1.62% to 8,603.33 yuan/ton. It is expected that ex-factory prices for conventional polyester fabrics such as taffeta and pongee will see a 2%-3% reduction next week. Buyers are advised to postpone bulk orders until prices stabilize.
Although cotton yarn prices remain firm, raw cotton has shown weakness, narrowing the inverted domestic-import price gap and boosting the competitiveness of imported cotton. For pure cotton fabric procurement, consider substituting with imported cotton yarn.