PTA rose 2.25% for the week, while acrylonitrile plunged 4.20%—the second week of July 2026 saw a tale of two extremes in the textile raw material market. According to data from a commodity price monitor, only four products in the textile sector posted gains, while nine declined, with the weekly average change at -0.38%, indicating continued overall market pressure.
Polyester Chain: Cost Transmission and Demand Resilience Support PTA
PTA led the textile sector with a 2.25% weekly gain, closing at 5910.50 yuan/ton, up 21.80% year-on-year. This was not an isolated event: polyester staple fiber rose 0.95% to 7332.23 yuan/ton, up 9.43% YoY. The strength in the upstream polyester chain is mainly attributed to high international crude oil prices supporting costs, coupled with resilient operating rates at polyester plants.
However, the polyester chain is not monolithic. Polyester FDY fell 1.68%, DTY dropped 1.28%, and POY edged down 0.77%. The decline in filament yarn varieties reflects the limited ability of downstream weaving mills to absorb high raw material prices. In other words, cost transmission has encountered resistance at the filament stage, squeezing polyester plants' margins.
Acrylonitrile Leads Decline: Overshoot Signal Amid Supply-Demand Imbalance
Acrylonitrile was the weakest performer of the week, falling 4.20% to 9133.33 yuan/ton, though still up 15.61% YoY. This decline is not accidental: earlier price increases driven by plant maintenance and export demand have reversed as maintenance units restart, putting supply pressure on the market. Meanwhile, downstream sectors such as ABS and acrylic fiber are entering a traditional off-season, slowing procurement.
Historically, a single-week drop of over 4% in acrylonitrile often signals excessive bearish sentiment. Current prices are approaching the cost line for some marginal capacity, limiting further downside, but a rebound requires inventory destocking signals.
Cotton and Nylon: Moderate Adjustments with Structural Opportunities
The cotton chain performed relatively steadily: cotton yarn 32S rose 0.61%, 21S up 0.28%, while cotton lint fell 0.92%. Cotton yarn's resilience reflects decent orders for domestic spinners, while the decline in lint is linked to weaker international cotton prices and expectations of higher domestic production. This 'yarn strong, cotton weak' pattern suggests improving processing margins for spinners.
Nylon products all softened: FDY down 0.31%, DTY down 0.38%, POY down 0.92%. The pressure is tied to ample caprolactam supply and lackluster demand for nylon fabrics downstream. Viscose staple fiber and rayon yarn prices were flat, and spandex showed no movement, indicating a wait-and-see sentiment in the chemical fiber sector.
Raw Silk: The Only YoY Decliner Signals Demand Weakness
Raw silk edged down 0.07% to 425,700 yuan/ton, but its YoY decline of 10.07% makes it the only product in the textile sector with a negative annual comparison. The persistent weakness is mainly due to sluggish global silk consumption and intensified competition in key export markets like India. For processing enterprises in silk industry clusters such as Tongxiang (Zhejiang) and Wujiang (Jiangsu), this means continued pressure on export order profitability and potential acceleration of industry consolidation.