Polyester POY Prices Ease: 150D Specs Dip Below 8200 CNY as Inventory Pressure Cascades Downstream

Polyester POY (150D/48F semi-dull) prices showed notable divergence on July 3, 2026, with Rongsheng Petrochemical quoting 8,200 CNY/ton and Juxing Chemical at 8,050 CNY/ton—a spread of 150 CNY/ton. This price softening is not an isolated event; it signals that inventory pressure along the polyester chain is cascading downstream, and that cost control and pricing strategies among producers are diverging.

Regional Spreads and Capacity Distribution

Rongsheng’s quote of 8,200 CNY/ton is for delivery in Xiaoshan, Hangzhou, while Juxing’s 8,050 CNY/ton is for Shaoxing—only about 100 km apart, yet a 1.8% price gap. This reflects regional concentration and logistics costs: Xiaoshan, home to major polyester players, enjoys stronger pricing power, while Shaoxing’s small and medium producers are more willing to cut prices to move inventory.

China’s total POY capacity has exceeded 12 million tons per year, with Zhejiang Province alone accounting for about 35%. In an oversupplied market, regional price spreads will become the norm. Buyers who only monitor a single producer’s quote risk missing better deals.

Inventory Cycles and Downstream Transmission

POY prices are influenced not only by feedstock costs (PTA, MEG) but also by the purchasing sentiment of texturing and weaving mills. Since Q2 2026, apparel fabric orders have slowed significantly, and weaving utilization in East China has dropped from 78% in April to below 65% by late June.

This has shifted texturing mills from active restocking to just-in-time buying. As downstream utilization falls and finished-goods inventories rise, POY producers face mounting inventory pressure. Price cuts become a short-term cash-flow relief. Juxing’s move to 8,050 CNY/ton may trigger similar cuts by other small players, but whether leading producers follow remains to be seen.

Industry Impact and Price Outlook

For fabric traders and weavers, the POY price dip offers a temporary cost window. However, this drop is not driven by feedstock collapse—PTA has stayed around 5,800-5,900 CNY/ton. Instead, it represents a profit redistribution along the chain: polyester makers give up margin, giving downstream a breather.

Historically, when the POY-to-DTY spread narrows below 800 CNY/ton, texturing mills cut purchases due to thin margins, forcing further POY declines. Currently, the spread for 150D/48F is about 900 CNY/ton—a critical threshold. If end-demand remains weak in July, POY could fall further to 7,900-8,000 CNY/ton.

Practical Recommendations

For Buyers - Exploit regional spreads: compare quotes from multiple mills in Hangzhou, Xiaoshan, and Shaoxing. For orders over 30 tons, negotiate for the Shaoxing low price. - Pace your purchases: if warehouse stock covers 7-10 days, wait for prices to dip below 8,000 CNY/ton before restocking in batches. - Monitor the DTY-POY spread: when it narrows below 850 CNY/ton, reduce POY buying and either buy DTY directly or wait for the spread to widen.

For Exporters - Lock in forward costs: for export contracts with a lead time of 30+ days, negotiate a basis-pricing agreement with the POY supplier using 8,050 CNY/ton as the reference to hedge against raw material rebound. - Watch anti-dumping developments: the EU’s anti-dumping investigation into Chinese polyester filament yarn is in the hearing stage. If duties are imposed, they will directly impact POY and downstream product competitiveness. Exporters should discuss cost-sharing clauses with clients early. - Upgrade product mix: as commodity POY margins shrink, guide mills toward differentiated products such as cationic dyeable POY or flame-retardant POY, which command premiums of 300-500 CNY/ton and face less competition.