Upstream raw material and downstream finished product prices are diverging sharply. Data from June 29, 2026, shows PTA rose 0.90% and acrylonitrile 0.50%, the only two gainers among 17 monitored textile commodities. Meanwhile, polyester FDY fell 0.68%, polyester staple fiber dropped 0.43%, and raw silk declined 0.35%, contributing to a sector-wide average daily change of -0.03%. The ratio of gainers to losers stood at 2:6, underscoring a bearish tilt.
Cost Push Meets Demand Pull
PTA climbed from 5,734 yuan/ton to 5,785.66 yuan/ton between June 26 and June 29, a year-on-year gain of 13.78%. This rally was driven by tight PX supply and planned maintenance at several plants. However, the strength failed to cascade downstream. Polyester FDY slipped from 8,603.33 yuan/ton to 8,545 yuan/ton, down 0.68%, while polyester staple fiber dropped 0.43%. This "raw material up, finished product down" squeeze is eroding margins for polyester mills.
Acrylonitrile held at 10,133.33 yuan/ton, up 26.14% year-on-year, reflecting robust demand from carbon fiber and ABS resin sectors. In contrast, raw silk plunged 9.89% from a year ago, the deepest decline among all tracked items, due to weak silk garment consumption and increased spring cocoon supply.
Divergence Within Chemical Fiber
Among the 17 categories, polyester, nylon, and cotton yarn showed starkly different trajectories. All polyester products—DTY, POY, FDY, and staple fiber—declined between 0.13% and 0.68%, signaling oversupply. Nylon series (DTY, FDY, POY) remained flat, indicating a stalemate between upstream and downstream players.
Cotton yarn 21S and 32S also held steady but were up 7.50% and 6.57% year-on-year, reflecting earlier cotton cost pass-through. Cotton lint edged down 0.20% but stayed 15.08% higher year-on-year, with signs of a top forming. Viscose staple fiber and spandex were unchanged; spandex’s 21.09% annual gain highlights its pricing power in sportswear.
Practical Takeaways
The current price structure sends clear signals. PTA’s strength may be temporary as polyester mills increase production cuts. Once plant maintenance ends and supply resumes, PTA faces downside risk. Polyester’s weakness confirms a buyer’s market; stockpiling should be avoided.
For Buyers - Adopt a hand-to-mouth procurement strategy for polyester FDY and staple fiber, leveraging buyer leverage to lock short-term orders and avoid inventory write-downs. - Monitor PTA futures; if PTA corrects, polyester prices may fall further—set price alerts. - For spandex and acrylonitrile, extend procurement cycles to lock current relatively low levels via long-term contracts.
For Exporters - Incorporate polyester raw material weakness into export quotes to enhance competitiveness while avoiding margin erosion. - Raw silk’s decline offers an opportunity to lower input costs for silk exporters, but watch for end-demand recovery. - Given volatile fiber prices and uncertain trade conditions, include price adjustment clauses in export contracts.
Overall, late-June 2026 prices reveal a chain where profits concentrate upstream while downstream bears the brunt. Procurement and sales decisions must be based on cost-transmission logic, not isolated price moves. The Texcircle editorial team will continue tracking this divergence.