One polyester staple fiber, two price worlds.
On July 10, 2026, industry public quotes showed water treatment fiber balls (standard grade) held steady at 15,500 RMB/ton, while textile-grade 1.56dtex×38mm cotton-type polyester staple fiber ranged only from 7,080 to 7,370 RMB/ton. The spread exceeding 8,000 RMB/ton reflects two sharply different supply-demand curves for industrial filter media and textile raw materials.
Water Treatment Fiber: Rigid Demand Supports High Platform
Henan Kaijie Water Treatment Co., Ltd. quoted fiber balls—regardless of 30mm, 40mm, or 50mm diameter—uniformly at 15,500 RMB/ton. This level has persisted for days, revealing structural characteristics of the water treatment PSF market: concentrated supply with specific specification barriers and certification thresholds.
Fiber balls are mainly used in filtration systems for industrial wastewater and circulating water. Downstream customers are mostly power plants, chemical plants, and municipal wastewater treatment facilities, with stable procurement cycles and relatively low price sensitivity. Driven by high-standard environmental requirements, order resilience in this segment is significantly stronger than in textiles.
For buyers, 15,500 RMB/ton means limited short-term bargaining room. However, given the long service life of fiber balls (typically replaced every 6-12 months), single procurement costs account for a modest share of overall maintenance budgets, making end-users relatively tolerant of price fluctuations.
Textile-Grade PSF: Regional Price Spreads Signal Competitive Pressure
In stark contrast to the firmness of industrial grades, textile-grade PSF quotes showed clear regional divergence and brand competition.
Data came from two channels: Hebei Chujiao Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd. and Zhejiang Tianchen Textile Supply Chain Co., Ltd. Among brands, Huahong quoted the lowest at 7,080 RMB/ton (Wuxi, Jiangsu); Yida at 7,220 RMB/ton (Suqian, Jiangsu); Xintuo at 7,330 RMB/ton (Xuzhou, Jiangsu); and Huaxicun the highest at 7,370 RMB/ton (Wuxi, Jiangsu).
All four brands are melt direct-spun, cotton-type, first-grade, with uniform specification of 1.56dtex×38mm—highly homogeneous products. Yet the quote spread reached 290 RMB/ton, unusual in a stable raw material cost environment.
Huahong's proactive downward pricing at 7,080 RMB/ton suggests possible inventory pressure at its Wuxi plant, or an intent to grab market share through price. Huaxicun's hold at 7,370 RMB/ton indicates brand premium or customer stickiness. Xintuo and Yida's mid-range quotes reflect a wait-and-see attitude among intermediate-tier players.
Regionally, Wuxi, Jiangsu has become the frontline of price competition. Huahong and Huaxicun, both in Wuxi, differ by 290 RMB/ton—a price divergence that directly impacts downstream spinning and nonwoven makers' procurement decisions: similar quality, lower price wins.
Upstream-Downstream Transmission: Spinners Enjoy Brief Dividend
Falling textile-grade PSF prices are a phased boon for downstream spinners.
At a procurement cost of 7,080 RMB/ton, spinners' raw material costs have dropped notably from earlier highs. If yarn selling prices don't fall in tandem, spinning margins will expand temporarily. But whether this window persists depends on destocking pace at the PSF supply side and trends in upstream PTA and MEG prices.
Note that current quotes are spot prices from traders or supply chain firms, not factory-direct. This means inventory costs and capital pressure at the intermediate level have already been transmitted to quotes—Hebei Chujiao's multi-brand agency strategy reflects supply-demand tightness in the circulation channel, not producers' ex-factory willingness.