The price of nylon DTY over the past year resembles a flattened wave. On July 13, 2026, the benchmark price stood at 15,760 CNY/ton, down just 0.51% from the start of the month. This number is not striking by itself, but in the annual context, it sits slightly above the midpoint of the range between 13,560 and 18,960 CNY/ton—neither a post-surge peak nor a panic-driven trough.
For the textile industry, what does this imply? The sideways movement of nylon DTY is not a sign of a stagnant market but a fragile balance: high upstream caprolactam costs, reluctance among downstream weavers to place orders, and the resulting squeeze on intermediate margins.
Supply-Demand Reality Behind the Mid-Range Volatility
Over the past year, the highest nylon DTY price appeared in Q4 2025, reaching 18,960 CNY/ton, while the lowest bottomed out in early 2026 at 13,560 CNY/ton—a spread of 5,400 CNY/ton, representing nearly 30% volatility. More notably, the annual average price was 15,064.59 CNY/ton, nearly 700 CNY/ton below the current level. This indicates that the current price is above the historical average but has not broken the previous high.
The zero daily change on July 13 suggests that this quote is not a one-day fluctuation but a period of stabilization after earlier corrections. For buyers, the current price is in the upper-mid range, meaning it is neither a bottom-fishing opportunity nor a time for panic stockpiling.
Upstream caprolactam prices strengthened in H1 2026, driven by crude oil volatility and maintenance shutdowns at several domestic plants. However, nylon DTY prices did not follow suit, reflecting resistance from downstream weavers to high-priced raw materials. This cost transmission bottleneck is not uncommon in the textile chemical fiber sector, but its persistence for a full year signals a structural shift in supply and demand.
Profit Redistribution: From Upstream Dominance to Downstream Bargaining
Traditionally, profits in the nylon chain concentrate at the raw material end. But the past year's data shows a top deviation (difference from the highest price) of -3,200 CNY/ton and a bottom deviation (difference from the lowest price) of +2,200 CNY/ton. This means the drop from the peak is far larger than the rebound from the trough—seller pricing power is weakening.
A key signal: the annual median value of nylon DTY is 16,260 CNY/ton, and the current price of 15,760 CNY/ton is about 3% below that median. This indicates that the market does not recognize the previous pricing center, and buyers are reducing purchases to force prices back down. Weaving clusters in Jiangsu and Zhejiang have seen a slight decline in operating rates in Q2 2026, directly weakening demand support for nylon filament.
At the same time, the profit structure of export orders is changing. In the past, nylon DTY exports relied on volume-driven growth with standard specifications. But now overseas buyers are more price-sensitive, preferring small-lot, high-frequency orders with tighter delivery requirements. This forces domestic nylon companies to shift from 'capacity competition' to 'service competition,' further squeezing margins.