Nylon POY Price Stagnates for a Year: Mid-Range Volatility Reflects Supply-Demand Standoff

A single nylon POY price traveled from 11,300 yuan/ton to 16,950 yuan/ton and back over the past year, eventually settling at 13,625 yuan/ton—a figure that is neither peak nor trough, but squarely in the mid-range. For textile industry professionals, this ‘neither here nor there’ state is often more troubling than a clear trend.

Price Stagnation: Which Side Will Break the Deadlock First

Industry public data shows that from July 6, 2025, to July 6, 2026, the benchmark price of nylon POY fluctuated by nearly 50%. The current price of 13,625 yuan/ton represents a mere 0.18% drop from the start of the year, almost negligible. Yet the market has been anything but calm: prices touched a low of 11,300 yuan/ton and a high of 16,950 yuan/ton, with a median of 14,125 yuan/ton acting as an invisible anchor pulling prices back to the middle.

This range-bound structure stems from a tug-of-war between upstream and downstream. Upstream raw materials like caprolactam are volatile due to international crude oil fluctuations, while downstream demand from weaving and apparel remains sluggish, with buyers adopting a ‘buy-as-needed’ strategy and refusing to stockpile. When costs rise, downstream rejects the price; when costs fall, upstream resists cutting. The result is a stalemate, with prices oscillating within a corridor.

Industrial Belt Reactions: New Inventory Management Challenges for Weaving Mills

For industrial clusters relying heavily on nylon—such as Shaoxing in Zhejiang and Changle in Fujian—this price pattern has directly altered procurement rhythms. In the past, mills would stock up at price lows, hoping for appreciation. But in the current mid-range volatility, hoarding carries higher risk: if prices drop to the corridor’s lower edge, inventory value quickly erodes.

Notably, the annual average price of 12,800.41 yuan/ton is significantly below the current level, indicating that for most of the year, prices were lower. This means mills that bought at highs may still be absorbing losses. Smaller weaving factories have begun adjusting production plans, reducing nylon’s share in favor of more stable alternatives like polyester or cotton.

Practical Recommendations

For Buyers - Watch the 11,300 yuan/ton support level; consider phased purchasing near this range rather than waiting for the absolute bottom. - Use futures or forward contracts to lock in costs below the median, avoiding forced buying during price surges. - Negotiate quarterly floating-price agreements with suppliers to cap risk.

For Foreign Trade Companies - Set clear price validity periods in quotes—no longer than 15 days—to prevent order losses from sudden raw material shifts. - Monitor RMB exchange rate fluctuations, which may become a key profit variable during this sideways market. - Differentiate pricing by market: offer shorter lock-in periods for price-sensitive Southeast Asian buyers, and emphasize nylon’s quality stability for European and American clients to downplay price volatility.