On July 8, 2026, the textile raw material market showed a stark contrast. Polyester staple fiber and PTA both rose, with gains of 1.08% and 1.07% respectively, while acrylonitrile plunged 4.20%, becoming the most notable mover of the day. Industry data shows the textile sector's average price edged down 0.2%, but the divergence among individual products was far greater than market expectations.
Upstream Raw Materials: Divergence between PTA and Acrylonitrile
PTA prices rose to 5,873.34 yuan per ton on July 8, up 19.11% year-on-year. This rally is mainly supported by upstream PX cost support and sustained high operating rates in downstream polyester production. In contrast, acrylonitrile prices plummeted from 9,533.33 to 9,133.33 yuan per ton, a single-day drop of 4.20%, the largest decline in the sector. The rapid decline reflects weak demand in downstream acrylic fiber and ABS resin sectors, coupled with supply pressure from new capacity additions.
This divergence indicates that the supply-demand cycles for PTA and acrylonitrile have clearly decoupled. For buyers, PTA's strength may persist, while the downtrend in acrylonitrile may not have bottomed out yet.
Polyester Staple Fiber Leads Gains, Smooth Chain Transmission
Polyester staple fiber rose 1.08% to 7,346.17 yuan per ton, up 9.57% year-on-year. As a direct downstream product of PTA, its price increase is closely linked to upstream cost push. More importantly, demand from downstream spinning and nonwovens sectors remains relatively stable, allowing costs to pass through smoothly.
In contrast, polyester FDY fell 1.29% to 8,295 yuan per ton. FDY is mainly used in apparel fabrics, and the recent slowdown in end-use garment orders has led to inventory buildup in the filament segment. Different products within the same polyester chain show contrasting price trends due to different downstream applications.
Cotton and Nylon Stable, Raw Silk Under Pressure
Cotton prices edged up 0.07% to 17,917.67 yuan per ton. Cotton yarn 21S and 32S prices were flat at 23,466.67 and 24,875 yuan per ton respectively. The cotton market is in a high-level consolidation phase, with the tug-of-war between new crop output expectations and downstream operating rates ongoing.
Nylon series products (DTY, FDY, POY) all held steady, indicating a temporary balance between cost and demand in the nylon chain. Raw silk prices continued to decline to 425,700 yuan per ton, down 10.07% year-on-year. The persistent weakness in raw silk is linked to recovered cocoon output and sluggish silk export orders, a trend worth watching for major sericulture regions like Zhejiang and Guangxi.
Viscose and Spandex: Calm on the Surface, Undercurrents Below
Viscose staple fiber prices remained at 14,200 yuan per ton, up 9.06% year-on-year. Spandex prices stood at 29,666.67 yuan per ton, a year-on-year increase of 21.09%. Despite no change on the day, spandex has been trading at high levels for an extended period. High prices are curbing downstream demand, with some weaving mills reducing spandex usage or seeking alternatives. In viscose, high dissolving pulp costs and lackluster demand for rayon yarn are in a standoff, likely keeping prices in a narrow range in the near term.