15,500 RMB per ton. That's the price Henan Kaijie Water Treatment Co., Ltd. quoted for ordinary fiber balls on June 28. The same across three diameters: 30mm, 40mm, and 50mm. The number itself isn't shocking—what's striking is that it's identical to the quotes from the previous week, the previous month, and even earlier. When prices don't move, the market is either brewing a change or simply stuck. Based on feedback from multiple industry sources, the latter is closer to reality.
The Supply-Demand Logic Behind Stagnant Prices
Fiber balls are primarily made from polyester staple fiber, whose upstream is PTA and MEG. In the first half of 2026, PTA prices experienced a roller-coaster—rising first, then falling—but fiber ball quotes remained unchanged. This suggests two things: first, raw material cost fluctuations haven't effectively passed through to the end product; second, the market is in a fragile equilibrium. On the supply side, Henan Kaijie, as a representative water treatment materials manufacturer in central China, sets a benchmark. The fact that it quoted the same price for three different diameters indicates that buyers are indifferent to size—they just want to secure supply. On the demand side, fiber balls are mainly used in industrial wastewater treatment and circulating water purification. In the first half of 2026, China's industrial environmental investment growth slowed noticeably, with some small-to-medium chemical and dyeing mills postponing equipment upgrades due to low capacity utilization. This directly reduced market liquidity for fiber balls.
Diverging Downstream Applications for Polyester Staple Fiber
Fiber balls are just one niche in the broader polyester staple fiber market. Zooming out, the entire sector is experiencing structural divergence. Textile-grade polyester staple fiber (used for spinning and filling) suffered from declining apparel exports, with average Q2 2026 prices down 3%-5% from Q1. Nonwoven-grade fiber (used in hygiene and filtration materials) held up relatively well, but its growth rate slowed from 8% in 2025 to around 4%. Water treatment fiber balls entered a price hibernation phase—no upward momentum, no downward pressure. This divergence means polyester staple fiber producers can no longer rely on a one-size-fits-all strategy. Differentiated pricing and niche market penetration will be key competitive battlegrounds in the second half of the year.
Implications for Buyers and Exporters
For water treatment engineering firms and traders who primarily purchase fiber balls, this price stagnation presents both opportunities and risks. The opportunity: with PTA prices at relatively low levels, if environmental policies tighten in Q3, fiber ball prices could see a catch-up rally—locking in current prices now could be advantageous. The risk: if industrial demand remains weak, suppliers may proactively cut prices to destock. The 15,500 RMB/ton support level, once broken, could open a downward channel to 14,500-15,000 RMB/ton. The Textile Circle editorial team recommends that buyers shorten contract cycles—use monthly or quarterly pricing instead of semi-annual or annual contracts to retain price flexibility. Exporters should monitor Southeast Asian and South Asian markets—Vietnam and India have ramped up industrial wastewater treatment facility construction in 2026, creating rising demand for fiber balls that could serve as an export outlet for China's excess capacity.