Textile Raw Material Price Divergence Intensifies: PTA Leads with 4.25% Gain, Acrylonitrile Plunges 4.2%

In the second week of July 2026, the price trends of textile commodities showed a rare polarization: PTA rose 2.25% weekly, while acrylonitrile plunged 4.20%. Within the chemical fiber sector, polyester staple fiber and cotton yarn followed with slight gains, but polyester FDY and DTY fell 1.68% and 1.28% respectively, indicating a sharp adjustment in the profit distribution pattern of the industry chain.

Upstream Raw Materials: PTA Strength vs. Acrylonitrile Plunge PTA prices rose from 5,780.66 yuan/ton to 5,910.50 yuan/ton this week, with a year-on-year increase of 21.80%. This rally was mainly supported by high crude oil prices and tight PX supply. For textile enterprises, the cost pressure from PTA continues to be transmitted, but the purchasing willingness of downstream polyester factories has not weakened significantly, suggesting some resilience in end demand.

In stark contrast, acrylonitrile prices plummeted from 9,533.33 yuan/ton to 9,133.33 yuan/ton, a drop of 4.20%, with the year-on-year increase narrowing to 15.61%. The sharp decline reflects a mismatch between the release of new domestic production capacity and weak demand for downstream acrylic fiber and ABS resin. For acrylic yarn enterprises relying on acrylonitrile, short-term cost relief comes with the need to watch for price volatility.

Polyester Sector: Staple Fiber Up, Filament Down, Internal Divergence Polyester staple fiber rose 0.95% to 7,332.23 yuan/ton this week, up 9.43% year-on-year, showing relative strength. This is related to rigid demand in nonwovens and filling materials, supported by maintenance at some factories. However, polyester filament yarn weakened across the board: FDY fell 1.68% to 8,295 yuan/ton, DTY fell 1.28% to 9,168.75 yuan/ton, and POY fell 0.77% to 8,087.5 yuan/ton.

The core logic behind the decline in filament yarn prices is: low operating rates at downstream weaving enterprises, high gray fabric inventories, and procurement limited to essential demand. Water-jet loom operating rates in clusters such as Shengze and Changxing have dropped by about 5-8 percentage points compared to the same period last year, leading to limited incremental demand for polyester filament yarn. With PTA rising and filament falling, the profit margin in the polyester segment is severely squeezed.

Cotton Spinning and Chemical Fibers: Cotton Yarn Stable, Viscose and Spandex Flat Cotton yarn 32S and 21S rose 0.61% and 0.28% respectively this week, with year-on-year increases of over 7%. Cotton prices fell 0.92% to 17,706 yuan/ton, but were still up 16.48% year-on-year. The slight rise in cotton yarn prices rather than a synchronized decline indicates that spinning enterprises have some ability to pass on costs. However, the narrowing spread between cotton and cotton yarn suggests limited profit margins for spinners.

Viscose staple fiber and spandex prices remained flat this week at 14,200 yuan/ton and 29,666.67 yuan/ton respectively, with year-on-year increases of 9.06% and 21.09%. The high-level consolidation of spandex reflects stable demand for sportswear and stretch fabrics. Viscose spun yarn also held steady at 17,925 yuan/ton, with the market in a weak equilibrium.

Nylon and Raw Silk: Slight Decline, Demand Under Pressure Nylon FDY, DTY, and POY fell 0.31%, 0.38%, and 0.92% respectively this week. The nylon chain is affected by caprolactam price fluctuations, with downstream nylon fabric procurement cautious. Raw silk prices edged down 0.07% to 425,700 yuan/ton, down 10.07% year-on-year, making it the only variety with a year-on-year decline this week. The weakness in the raw silk market is related to changes in global silk consumption patterns—the substitution effect of fast fashion and the growth of alternatives like silk quilts are squeezing demand for high-end raw silk.

Practical Advice ### For Buyers - Monitor the price gap between PTA and polyester filament: With polyester margins under pressure, if PTA continues to rise while filament prices stay flat, consider stocking up on filament at current low levels. - Wait and see on acrylonitrile after the sharp drop: New capacity release is not yet over, and prices may still have room to decline. Acrylic raw material procurement can be done in batches. - Lock in short-term orders for cotton yarn: With cotton prices slightly lower and spinner margins thin, the downside for cotton yarn is limited. Urgent orders need not wait.

For Foreign Trade Companies - Be cautious with polyester filament export quotes: Domestic price declines may prompt overseas customers to press for lower prices. Refer to the PTA cost floor to avoid loss-making orders. - Consider offering concessions on acrylonitrile downstream products (e.g., acrylic yarn): The drop in raw material costs provides flexibility in export pricing, but watch for exchange rate risks. - Monitor supply-demand changes in viscose staple fiber: Prices have been flat for a long time. If export orders pick up, they may rebound first. Lock in prices with suppliers in advance.