On July 6, 2026, the public quotations for polyester DTY (150D/48F semi-dull low-elastic) showed clear stratification: the lowest was from Zhejiang Juxing Chemical Fiber at only 9,000 yuan/ton, while the highest from Tongkun Group reached 9,550 yuan/ton. The price gap for the same specification and grade widened to 550 yuan. Behind this figure lies the real temperature of the chemical fiber chain in the off-season. For buyers, this means expanding room for negotiation; for factories, it means profits are being squeezed.
Quotation Stratification: A Game of Production Regions and Brands
The quotations covered seven Zhejiang-based companies, all located in the two major chemical fiber clusters of Hangzhou and Shaoxing. Among them, Hangzhou Kaisi, Zhengkai Chemical Fiber, Senkai New Materials, Jisi New Materials, and Rongsheng Petrochemical are all in Hangzhou, with quotes ranging from 9,050 to 9,500 yuan/ton. Shaoxing had only one company, Zhejiang Juxing, quoting 9,000 yuan/ton. In terms of brand, industry leader Tongkun Group held firm at 9,550 yuan/ton, about 300 yuan above the market average. Rongsheng Petrochemical quoted 9,050 yuan/ton, creating a 500-yuan gap with Tongkun. This divergence is not accidental: large factories can maintain relatively high prices in the off-season due to brand premium and stable long-term contract customers, while small and medium enterprises have to trade volume for price to compete for limited orders. Notably, the lowest quote of 9,000 yuan/ton is approaching the cash cost line for some companies. According to industry public data, with PTA and MEG raw material prices hovering at low levels, DTY processing profit margins have narrowed to 300-500 yuan/ton. Once quotes fall below 9,000 yuan, small and medium factories face the risk of losses.
Industrial Impact: Off-Season Pressure Transmits Up and Down the Chain
The stratification of DTY quotes directly reflects insufficient operating rates in the downstream weaving sector. July is a traditional off-season for the textile industry, with loom operating rates in Jiangsu and Zhejiang having dropped from 70% in June to around 60%. Terminal garment orders are mainly for autumn and winter stocking, but brand procurement has slowed, leading to high grey fabric inventories and weaving mills adopting a hand-to-mouth approach to raw material purchases. This weak demand has already transmitted upstream to polyester factories. Although some large factories have reduced production to stabilize prices, overall industry inventories are still rising. According to public data from the China Chemical Fiber Association, by the end of June, social inventories of DTY had increased to about 18 days, up 2 days from May. For the export market, RMB exchange rate fluctuations and the trend of overseas orders returning to Southeast Asia have further suppressed the demand elasticity of domestic DTY. In the first half of the year, China's polyester filament yarn export volume grew only 3% year-on-year, far below the 8% growth rate in the same period of 2025.