Over the past two days, the light textile raw material markets in Shengze and Jiaxing have exhibited a notable divergence: polyester filament yarn trading was sluggish while yarn products saw localized active sales. This pattern of "cold filament yarn, warm yarn" raises questions about what it means for the industry.
Filament Yarn Side: Cautious Procurement Under Typhoon Disruption
On July 11-12, the polyester filament yarn market overall performed tepidly, with major polyester factories mainly offering flat quotes. Semi-dull FDY 150D/96F remained at around CNY 9,050/ton, and DTY 150D/48F at CNY 8,150/ton. However, trading volumes were notably low, as downstream weaving and texturing enterprises generally adopted a "small batch, frequent orders" procurement strategy.
The direct cause was weather-related. The typhoon disrupted logistics and terminal operations, slowing procurement pace. But the deeper reason lies in the market's lack of clear expectations for upstream raw materials like PTA and MEG. Uncertain medium-to-long-term price trends have kept weaving mills from building inventories.
In terms of product mix, FDY fine-denier yarns remained essential for warp knitting, with FDY 54D/24F, 68D/24F, and 75D/36F maintaining active sales. Bright FDY 150D saw stable demand in water-jet oxford fabric and polyester-nylon weft applications, quoted at CNY 8,350-8,400/ton. Notably, FDY 75D/36F black yarn and DTY 75D black yarn performed actively in water-jet memory fabric and lining sectors, reflecting the market's ongoing preference for differentiated and functional fabrics.
DTY 150D/144F prices became chaotic, indicating inventory pressure among traders and downward pressure from buyers. In contrast, DTY 150D/96F and 200D/96F network yarns maintained steady volumes in oxford fabric and satin crepe due to their wide applicability. POY demand for both texturing and intermingling was weak, suggesting that downstream texturing capacity utilization has not rebounded significantly.
Yarn Side: Local Recovery in Cotton and Rayon Yarns
In contrast to the "cold" filament yarn market, yarn products showed some resilience on July 11-12. Cotton yarn prices were stable, with demand for 21s and J32s air-jet yarns slightly increasing, primarily flowing into air-jet nylon-cotton fabric production. This suggests that nylon-cotton blended fabrics still have some order support in the end-use market.
Polyester-cotton and polyester-viscose blended yarns remained stable in price but weak in trading, reflecting a lack of clear direction for blended products during the off-season. Pure polyester yarn prices were steady with adjustments, with the 45s variety significantly outperforming others. The center price for polyester staple fiber 1.56*38mm remained at around CNY 7,650/ton. The strong sales of 45s pure polyester yarn hint at downstream development of lightweight polyester fabrics.
Rayon yarn was another bright spot. The 30s variety saw active sales, mainly used for diamond cotton fabric. Viscose staple fiber prices consolidated, with a latest center price of around CNY 14,200/ton. The activity in rayon yarn indicates sustained demand for cotton-like and silk-like hand feel fabrics. However, given the high level of viscose staple fiber prices, some moderate adjustment in rayon yarn prices may be on the horizon.
Industry Transmission: The Game Between Procurement Strategy and Price Expectations
The core contradiction in the current market is high upstream raw material costs versus insufficient terminal order releases. Polyester filament yarn factories choose to offer flat quotes, essentially balancing between "price maintenance" and "volume moving." Downstream cautious procurement, on the other hand, is a risk-averse response to potential future price drops.
Historically, July-August is the traditional off-season for textiles but also the window for autumn/winter stocking. If PTA and MEG prices break out directionally in the next two weeks, the price center for polyester filament yarn may adjust accordingly. On the yarn side, the localized recovery in cotton yarn is worth watching, as it could be an early signal of downstream brands placing replenishment orders for fall/winter garments.
For buyers, this phase requires more refined inventory management. For mills, the premium for differentiated products (like black yarn, network yarn) is clearly higher than for commodity grades, and the direction for product mix adjustment is already clear.