Polyester Staple Fiber Prices Hold High, Regional Traders in Henan Face Inventory Pressure

Polyester staple fiber (PSF) spot prices are showing a high-level consolidation in the Henan region. On July 4, 2026, Henan Kaijie Water Treatment quoted 15,500 yuan/ton for 30mm-diameter PSF, a level maintained for several consecutive days. Meanwhile, the industry benchmark price published by Shengyishe on July 2 stood at 7,311.29 yuan/ton, revealing a price gap of more than double—a structural divergence that warrants industry attention.

The Logic Behind Price Structural Divergence

The 15,500 yuan/ton quotation does not represent the industry norm but targets a differentiated product with specific specifications (30mm diameter). Such fibers are typically used in industrial filtration applications like water treatment, requiring higher raw material, processing, and performance standards than conventional textile-grade fibers. The benchmark price of 7,311 yuan/ton reflects the supply-demand balance for commodity-grade PSF. This price stratification indicates that specialty PSF markets enjoy substantial premium room, while profit margins for conventional categories are under pressure.

Chronologically, Henan Kaijie's quotations remained at 15,500 yuan on both July 2 and 4, signaling sellers' reluctance to lower prices at current levels. Additionally, Youcai Resources reported a net profit increase of 72.80% to 122.17% in the first half of the year, suggesting that industry leaders have achieved significant profit improvement in high-value-added product lines. This divergence implies that traders relying solely on conventional PSF will face greater inventory turnover pressure.

Regional Industrial Belt Inventory and Cost Transmission

As an important chemical fiber distribution hub in central China, Henan's quotations serve as a bellwether for surrounding spinning and nonwovens clusters. If the 15,500 yuan/ton price persists, it will directly elevate raw material costs for downstream sectors such as water treatment filter media and industrial fabrics. Given that the quotation is valid for only seven days, the procurement decision window is extremely narrow in the short term.

From the upstream perspective, raw materials for PSF—PTA and ethylene glycol—have seen relatively stable price fluctuations recently. Therefore, the current high quotation mainly reflects structural tightening on the supply side. For traders in Henan, if inventory is dominated by conventional specifications, they face depreciation risks; if holding specialty specifications, although premiums are available, whether downstream demand can sustain remains uncertain.

Practical Insights for Buyers and Foreign Trade Firms

For Buyers - For specialty PSF (e.g., 30mm diameter), lock in prices within the seven-day validity window to avoid procurement cost spikes due to price jumps. - If conventional PSF usage is large, reference the benchmark price of 7,311 yuan/ton for comparison and monitor price spreads across major producing regions such as Henan, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang to source at lower costs. - Establish monthly pricing mechanisms with suppliers to extend quotation validity to 15–30 days, reducing short-term volatility risks.

For Foreign Trade Firms - When exporting industrial PSF products, include raw material price adjustment clauses in contracts to pass through specialty PSF premium costs to downstream buyers. - Monitor demand changes for high-value-added PSF in Southeast Asian markets; if regional price spreads widen, consider re-export opportunities. - Use futures instruments to hedge conventional PSF, locking in processing margins and preventing spot price volatility from eroding order profitability.