The lightweight raw materials market in Shengze and Jiaxing in mid-July did not see the expected summer restocking boom. Instead, a typhoon combined with increasingly cautious procurement strategies from downstream enterprises led to a sluggish polyester filament market—trading volumes fell, and major mills generally kept prices flat to move inventory.
Product Divergence: Fine Denier and Functional Products Shine
The market was not without bright spots. Semi-dull FDY fine denier varieties such as 54D/24F, 68D/24F, and 75D/36F maintained active sales, driven by stable demand from warp-knitted fabrics. Bright FDY150D/84F, priced between 8,350-8,400 RMB/ton, was used for water-jet Oxford luggage fabrics and polyester-nylon blended weft yarns, with relatively smooth sales.
- FDY75D/36F black yarn was actively traded for water-jet weaving of memory fabrics
- DTY black yarn in 75D was used for black dot satin and black twill lining, with moderate demand
- DTY150D/144F prices were chaotic, while 150D/96F and 200D/96F network yarns, due to wide applicability, sold well for Oxford fabric and satinette
Notably, semi-dull DTY75D/72F and 100D/144F network yarns saw demand in both water-jet and warp-knitted sectors, indicating a growing preference for functional and differentiated products downstream.
Supply Chain Transmission: Upstream Raw Materials vs. Downstream Weaving
From an industry chain perspective, the current volatility in the polyester filament market is essentially a tug-of-war between upstream cost support and weak downstream demand. POY demand from texturing mills was low, and POY for intermingling also performed mediocre, reflecting a lack of confidence among texturers.
Downstream weaving enterprises have generally adopted a 'small batch, frequent order' procurement strategy—placing smaller individual orders but at higher frequency. This approach not only hedges against price fluctuation risks but also indicates that terminal orders have not seen explosive growth. Public industry data shows semi-dull FDY150D/96F quoted around 9,050 RMB/ton and DTY150D/48F around 8,150 RMB/ton, with prices flat for several consecutive days.
The yarn market also showed divergence: cotton yarn 21s and J32s saw slightly higher demand for air-jet cotton-nylon fabrics, while polyester-cotton and polyester-viscose yarns were stable but with thin trading. Pure polyester yarn 45s sold better than other specifications, with polyester staple fiber 1.56*38 cotton type centered at around 7,650 RMB/ton. Rayon yarn 30s moved well due to diamond cotton fabric production, while viscose staple fiber prices consolidated at 14,200 RMB/ton.
Short-Term Volatility and Medium-Term Variables
Most market participants believe that polyester filament prices will continue to fluctuate in the coming days, with possible adjustments for certain specifications. However, the key variable for medium-term trends remains the price movement of upstream PTA and ethylene glycol—if crude oil strengthens and pushes polyester costs higher, while terminal demand fails to recover, the profit margins of weaving mills will come under further pressure.
For buyers, the current market does not favor large-scale stockpiling. A 'small batch, frequent order' approach remains the safer strategy. At the same time, attention should be paid to inventory changes of actively traded varieties like FDY fine denier and DTY network yarns, as these categories often reflect real downstream demand earlier.