In the last week of June 2026, the Hutang yarn market sent a signal that cannot be ignored: pure polyester yarn prices fell across the board, while quotes for other mainstream yarn varieties remained unchanged. This divergence reflects fundamentally different supply-demand dynamics on the chemical fiber side versus the cotton spinning side. For buyers and foreign trade enterprises, this presents both an opportunity for cost optimization and a challenge for profit management.
Price Divergence: Cotton Stable, Polyester Falls
According to market quotes from Hutang on June 28, 2026, prices for all-cotton yarn, polyester-cotton yarn, and rayon yarn remained unchanged compared to June 24. For example, OE7S all-cotton yarn from Anhui was quoted at 15,800 yuan/ton, 32S from Xinjiang at 23,800 yuan/ton, and combed 32S from Hebei at 24,800 yuan/ton. Polyester-cotton yarn T65/C35 32SK from Hebei was quoted at 15,500 yuan/ton, and rayon yarn 30S from Zhejiang at 18,300 yuan/ton, all flat.
Pure polyester yarn was the only variable this week. 16S from Zhejiang fell from 10,200 to 10,000 yuan/ton, 21S from 10,700 to 10,500 yuan/ton, and 32S from 11,900 to 11,600 yuan/ton, with declines of 200, 200, and 300 yuan/ton respectively. The 32S variety saw the largest drop, reflecting concentrated demand pressure on medium-count specifications.
The Logic Behind Polyester Yarn Pressure
The price decline in pure polyester yarn is not an isolated event. On the cost side, recent fluctuations in polyester raw materials PTA and MEG have weakened support for polyester staple fiber. As the direct upstream of pure polyester yarn, any price loosening in polyester staple fiber inevitably transmits downstream. On the demand side, summer is traditionally a low season for pure polyester yarn, as end-use garment fabric orders favor lightweight and blended products, limiting pure polyester usage. Under a supply-exceeds-demand pattern, manufacturers have to cut prices to destock.
Notably, the 'stability' of other yarn varieties does not mean the market is worry-free. The steadiness of all-cotton and polyester-cotton yarns is more a temporary balance between cost support and tepid demand. Prices of Xinjiang cotton and imported cotton have fluctuated slightly recently but have not formed a directional trend. Polyester-cotton yarn is in a stalemate due to the tug-of-war between polyester staple fiber and cotton prices. Rayon yarn's stability is related to the high concentration and pricing power of the viscose staple fiber industry.
Impact and Response for Downstream Enterprises
For weaving mills that primarily use pure polyester or polyester-cotton blends, the price drop in pure polyester yarn is a short-term positive. Lower raw material costs mean expanded gross margin, especially for factories with fixed-price orders, where this profit can be directly realized. However, Texworld editorial cautions against over-optimism. The price adjustment may not have bottomed out. If polyester raw materials continue to weaken, the decline could deepen. Bulk purchasing too early risks inventory depreciation.
For foreign trade enterprises, the impact of pure polyester yarn price volatility is more complex. On one hand, export orders are often priced in USD, and lower raw material costs help enhance quote competitiveness. On the other hand, if order lead times are long, the time gap between raw material procurement and production could lead to lower-than-expected actual profits. Therefore, it is recommended that foreign trade enterprises clarify raw material price fluctuation clauses in contracts or use hedging tools to lock in costs.