Polyester POY Quotation Divergence Intensifies: Industrial Concentration and Regional Differences Become Key in Price Game

The polyester POY spot market on July 6, 2026, sent a signal worth attention: the quotation gap for the same specification product (150D/48F semi-dull premium grade) widened to 600 yuan per ton, with the lowest at 7800 yuan and the highest at 8400 yuan. This divergence is not a random fluctuation but a concentrated projection of changing industrial structure and short-term supply-demand contradictions.

Behind the Quotation Divergence: Industrial Concentration and Pricing Power Game

According to public industry quotation data, several mainstream polyester POY producers located in Shaoxing and Hangzhou, Zhejiang, showed a clear gradient in their prices on July 6. Rongsheng Petrochemical quoted 7800 yuan/ton, Zhejiang Senkai New Materials quoted 7900 yuan/ton, Zhejiang Juxing Chemical Fiber quoted 8050 yuan/ton, while Hangzhou Kaisi Chemical Fiber and Tongkun Group's Hengteng Differential Fiber quoted 8300 yuan/ton and 8400 yuan/ton respectively. Although these companies are all in Zhejiang, the core production area for chemical fibers, their pricing strategies differ significantly.

This divergence first points to the dispersion of pricing power brought about by increased industrial concentration. Leading enterprises like Tongkun Group, with their scale advantages and differentiated product capabilities, have stronger pricing power and tend to maintain high prices to protect profits. Some medium-sized enterprises, however, may face greater inventory and capital pressure, choosing low-price strategies to accelerate turnover. For downstream weaving companies, this means increased uncertainty in procurement costs, as the same specification of raw materials may have significant cost differences depending on the supplier.

Amplifying Effect of Regional Supply Chain and Cost Structure Differences

Shaoxing and Hangzhou in Zhejiang are traditional strongholds for polyester POY production, but the cost structure differences between enterprises are being amplified. Fluctuations in raw material PTA and MEG prices, energy costs, and the company's own process level and management efficiency all directly affect production costs. Rongsheng Petrochemical, with its integrated industrial chain advantages, may have more flexibility in raw material procurement costs, thus able to offer more competitive prices. Tongkun Group's investment in differentiated fibers increases the added value of its products, naturally leading to higher quotations.

This intra-regional price gap means more complex supply chain management challenges for downstream buyers. In the past, buyers might only focus on the regional average price, but now they need to precisely track the quotation dynamics of specific companies. For foreign trade enterprises, the profit-squeezing effect of minor differences in raw material costs in end-order pricing will be amplified, especially against the backdrop of slowing global textile demand growth.

Overlapping Effects of Market Expectations and Inventory Cycles

The 600 yuan/ton price gap also reflects different judgments among market participants about future trends. Some companies may believe the current price level is near a cyclical bottom and choose to support prices, while others may be bearish on short-term demand and prefer to destock. The downstream of polyester POY is mainly weaving and texturing links, and the operating rates of these links directly determine the pace of raw material procurement. If terminal apparel orders do not show clear recovery, weaving companies' purchasing willingness will remain cautious, forcing some POY manufacturers to cut prices to move goods.

From a broader perspective, the quotation divergence of polyester POY is also a microcosm of the entire chemical fiber industry transitioning from a capacity expansion phase to a stock competition phase. In the past few years, China's polyester filament capacity has continued to grow, but demand growth has not kept pace, putting pressure on the industry's average operating rate. In this context, competition among enterprises is no longer just a price battle, but a comprehensive contest of cost control, product differentiation, and customer relationship management.

Practical Recommendations

For Buyers - Establish a dynamic supplier quotation database, focusing on price gap changes between different companies in the same region, and use the gap window for flexible procurement. - For long-term orders, consider signing long-term contracts with relatively stable leading companies to lock in costs; for short-term urgent orders, focus on medium-sized companies with lower quotations. - Closely monitor the futures trends of raw materials PTA and MEG, as their fluctuations often pass through to POY spot prices within one to two weeks.

For Foreign Trade Enterprises - When quoting to customers, it is recommended to adopt a "raw material cost floating clause" to partially transfer the risk of POY price fluctuations to downstream clients. - For orders targeting different markets (e.g., Southeast Asia, Europe and America), refer to the quotation ranges of corresponding POY suppliers to optimize cost accounting. - Pay attention to the operating rate and inventory weekly reports of POY companies in Shaoxing and Hangzhou, Zhejiang; these data are important leading indicators for judging short-term price trends.