A price signal most have overlooked is revealing the true state of the nylon chain: as of July 2, 2026, the Nylon DTY benchmark settled at 15,840 RMB/ton, flat year-on-year. The figure itself is unremarkable—sitting at the midpoint of its annual range—but the 365-day stagnation is rare among chemical fiber varieties.
The Logic Behind Price Stagnation
Public statistics show that between July 2025 and July 2026, Nylon DTY prices fluctuated between a low of 13,560 RMB/ton and a high of 18,960 RMB/ton, a spread of 5,400 RMB. The current level of 15,840 RMB is neither a bottom nor a peak, but sits about 2.6% below the median of 16,260 RMB. What does this mean?
On the cost side, continued capacity expansion of upstream caprolactam has narrowed price elasticity, directly capping Nylon DTY upside. On the demand side, downstream weaving enterprises—especially in industrial belts like Shengze and Changle—are processing short-run and small-batch orders, with little appetite for bulk stocking, slowing destocking. These two forces offset each other, locking prices in place.
Notably, zero daily change is not an anomaly. During the statistical period, the variety experienced multiple consecutive days of price stability, indicating that market participants are unwilling to cut prices to sell or raise prices to restock. This wait-and-see attitude has shifted from a short-term behavior to a structural characteristic.
Industrial Belt Reactions and Upstream-Downstream Transmission
Nylon DTY consumption is concentrated in Fujian’s Changle, Jiangsu’s Wujiang, and Zhejiang’s Shaoxing. Changle, as a warp-knitting cluster, is heavily dependent on Nylon DTY. Local mills report operating rates around 70% in the first half of 2026, down from over 80% in the same period of 2025. This suggests that end-brand apparel destocking is incomplete, and pressure will continue upstream.
In Wujiang’s Shengze, weavers increasingly substitute Nylon FDY at lower prices for some DTY demand to control costs. This substitution effect further compresses Nylon DTY price flexibility.
On the export front, direct Nylon DTY exports fell about 8% year-on-year in Q1 2026, mainly due to the expansion of local chemical fiber capacity in Southeast Asia. Production lines in Vietnam and Indonesia are gradually replacing China’s export share. This explains why, despite the price being at the midpoint, there is no buying frenzy—external demand growth is limited.