Polyester Staple Fiber Price Divergence: Industrial Fiber Balls Remain High, Cotton-Type Spinning Grade Under Pressure

On July 7, 2026, the domestic polyester staple fiber market showed a rare price divergence: industrial fiber balls (standard grade) were quoted at 15,500 RMB/ton in Zhengzhou, Henan, while cotton-type spinning-grade polyester staple fiber (1.56dtex*38mm) was only 7,000 RMB/ton in Wuxi, Jiangsu. The price gap of 8,500 RMB/ton far exceeds the normal fluctuation range.

Background

Public quotation data shows that Henan Kaijie Water Treatment Co., Ltd. quoted 15,500 RMB/ton for three specifications of fiber balls (30mm, 40mm, 50mm diameter) on the same day. These products are mainly used in industrial wastewater treatment, circulating water filtration, and other environmental fields. Meanwhile, Huahong brand melt-spun cotton-type polyester staple fiber was quoted at only 7,000 RMB/ton in Wuxi, Jiangsu, by Hebei Chujiao Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd.

Although both products fall under the polyester staple fiber category, their downstream applications are completely different. Fiber balls are industrial deep-processed products requiring special crimping and heat-setting processes, while cotton-type staple fiber is a basic raw material for the textile industry, used directly in spinning, nonwovens, and other fields.

Industry Impact

Industrial Fiber Balls: High Price Ground Under Policy Dividends

The 15,500 RMB/ton quotation for fiber balls is not a short-term bubble. Since the implementation of the upgraded "Industrial Wastewater Recycling Implementation Plan" in 2025, demand for advanced wastewater treatment equipment in high-water-consumption industries such as steel, chemicals, and power has continued to grow. Fiber balls, as efficient filter media, are irreplaceable in suspended solids removal and oil-water separation processes.

Henan Kaijie, as a major water treatment material supplier in the central region, has a benchmark quotation. The 15,500 RMB/ton price is about 12% higher than the same period in 2025 and has not corrected in three months, indicating strong downstream order stability and high customer acceptance. For the textile industry, this means that the profit margin for industrial deep-processed polyester products far exceeds that of spinning-grade products, and some chemical fiber companies may accelerate their transformation into industrial applications.

Cotton-Type Spinning-Grade Polyester Staple Fiber: Squeezed by Overcapacity and Weak Demand

The 7,000 RMB/ton quotation for cotton-type staple fiber reflects a completely different situation. Since 2024, domestic polyester staple fiber capacity has continued to expand, with new capacity exceeding 800,000 tons/year in Jiangsu and Zhejiang alone. Meanwhile, terminal clothing export growth has slowed—in the first five months of 2026, textile and apparel exports increased only 1.2% year-on-year, far below the 6.8% growth in 2023.

Huahong's quotation in Wuxi is close to the industry average cost line (about 6,800-7,000 RMB/ton), and some small and medium-sized enterprises face losses. More notably, the price gap between cotton-type staple fiber and fiber balls has expanded from 3,000 RMB/ton in 2024 to the current 8,500 RMB/ton, indicating that the spinning-grade market is in severe oversupply.

Supply Chain Logic

For textile buyers, the current price gap means:
- If products are related to industrial filtration, lock in long-term contracts to avoid further raw material price increases.
- If products are mainly spinning-based, leverage the buyer's market advantage to negotiate purchases near 7,000 RMB/ton.

For foreign trade companies, fiber ball exports to Southeast Asia and the Middle East at 15,500 RMB/ton (approximately $2,150/ton) are about $200/ton higher than similar products from Vietnam and India, slightly weakening price competitiveness.

Practical Recommendations

For Buyers - Spinning-grade polyester staple fiber: The current 7,000 RMB/ton price is near a three-year low; consider increasing inventory to 30 days of usage, but avoid excessive hoarding—if prices fall below 6,800 RMB/ton, write-down risks increase. - Industrial fiber balls: Sign quarterly framework agreements with mainstream suppliers like Henan Kaijie to lock in a maximum price of 15,500 RMB/ton, while monitoring quotations from alternative suppliers in Shandong and Hebei; if the price difference exceeds 5%, initiate a comparison procurement process.

For Foreign Trade Companies - Fiber ball exports: For Middle East and Africa markets, consider lowering offers to $2,000/ton (FOB) to enhance competitiveness, while emphasizing compliance with ISO 16889 filtration standards; for Southeast Asia, use CIF quotations to cover freight fluctuations. - Cotton-type staple fiber exports: Leverage domestic low prices to target spinning mills in South Asia (Bangladesh, Pakistan), offering prices 3-5% below local markets, but be aware of anti-dumping risks—India and Turkey have launched multiple investigations into Chinese polyester staple fiber.

For Factories - If capable of producing industrial fiber balls, consider converting 30% of spinning-grade capacity to fiber ball production for higher profits; conversion requires an investment of about 5 million RMB for crimping and heat-setting equipment, with a payback period of about 18 months. - If only producing cotton-type staple fiber, differentiate through specialization: develop recycled polyester staple fiber (r-PSF) or functional varieties (antibacterial, flame-retardant) to avoid price wars with leaders like Huahong and Hengli.