The nylon FDY market continued to weaken in early July 2026, with the benchmark price sliding to the mid-low range of its one-year price band. This movement should not be read as a mere short-term fluctuation but as another signal of supply-demand imbalance in the chemical fiber chain.
The Logic Behind the Price Decline
Public data from Shengyishe shows that the nylon FDY benchmark stood at 16,250 CNY/ton on July 10, down 0.31% from the start of the month. More telling is the annual price range: a low of 14,175 CNY/ton and a high of 19,950 CNY/ton, with the current price 3,700 CNY below the peak. This means nylon FDY has completed a full cycle of rally and retreat over the past 12 months and is now in the middle-to-late stage of a contraction channel.
The full-year average price is 15,619 CNY/ton, and the current price of 16,250 CNY/ton remains slightly above that average. However, given that the second half of the year typically marks a transition from slack to peak textile season, whether this "above-average" position can hold is uncertain. For chemical fiber mills, the closer the product price gets to the annual low, the greater the pressure of inventory write-downs.
Transmission Along the Chain: From Fabric to Raw Material
Nylon FDY is a key category of nylon filament, mainly used in outdoor sportswear fabrics, down jacket fabrics, and some home textile products. Its price trend is closely linked to the operating rates of downstream weaving mills and the procurement pace of end garment brands. The current mid-low price suggests that downstream buyers are taking a wait-and-see approach, reluctant to build inventory in a downward price channel.
This "buy when prices rise, not when they fall" mentality exacerbates inventory pressure for nylon mills. From a chain perspective, if upstream caprolactam (CPL) prices do not fall in tandem, the profit margin for nylon FDY production will be further squeezed. Industry data indicates that some small- and medium-sized nylon mills have already begun reducing operating rates to ease finished goods inventory pressure.
Reactions in Key Industrial Clusters
In nylon industry clusters such as Changle (Fujian) and Yiwu (Zhejiang), companies report that order cycles have shortened significantly, with fewer large orders and more small ones. Some nylon mills in Changle have cut prices for standard-spec FDY to below 16,000 CNY/ton, hoping to boost volume. However, the sustainability of this strategy depends on the order intake of downstream weaving mills—if end garment export orders do not show clear improvement, price concessions at the raw material level are unlikely to translate into actual sales.
The situation is similar in Yiwu, where nylon FDY traders report that inventory turnover days have extended from the normal 30 days to over 45 days. Rising capital costs are further tilting bargaining power toward buyers.
Outlook and Risk Factors
Seasonally, August and September typically mark the transition from slack season to autumn/winter fabric preparation. If end-consumer demand shows marginal improvement by then, nylon FDY prices may find support around 16,000 CNY/ton. However, if a slowdown in global economic growth continues to depress export orders, prices could test the annual low of 14,175 CNY/ton.
A key risk to watch: although nylon FDY prices are at mid-low levels, they are not necessarily at an absolute bottom. Chemical fiber mills should closely monitor CPL price trends and downstream weaving mill operating rates when formulating procurement strategies.