The textile commodity price data for the third week of July 2026 sends a key signal: the divergence between chemical fiber and natural fiber sectors is accelerating.
On a weekly basis, acrylonitrile led all categories with a 5.11% gain, rising from 9,133 yuan/ton to 9,600 yuan/ton, with a year-on-year increase expanding to 22.29%. PTA and polyester staple fiber rose 1.48% and 1.30% respectively, while polyester filament yarn DTY and POY recorded weekly gains of 0.75% and 0.69%.
Background
This round of chemical fiber raw material price increases is not an isolated event. From an industry chain perspective, the strong performance of acrylonitrile is directly linked to tight upstream supply. Industry data shows concentrated maintenance shutdowns at acrylonitrile plants, coupled with stable demand from downstream ABS resin and acrylic fiber sectors, creating a temporary supply gap.
PTA's rise is more cost-driven. International oil prices remained high in mid-July, PX prices followed, and after PTA processing margins were compressed, factories strengthened their price support stance. The follow-through increases in polyester staple fiber and filament yarn indicate that the cost transmission mechanism in the polyester chain is still functioning effectively.
Notably, cotton prices only edged up 0.13%, with a year-on-year increase of 15.31%, far below those of acrylonitrile and PTA. Cotton yarn 32S and 21S actually fell 0.60% and 0.57%, while raw silk dropped 10.34% year-on-year.
Industry Impact
What does this divergence mean for downstream buyers? First, continued rises in chemical fiber raw materials will push up production costs for polyester and acrylic fabrics and yarns. For apparel and home textile companies primarily using polyester, third-quarter procurement costs could rise 2%-3% quarter-on-quarter.
Second, the weakness in cotton and cotton yarn prices reflects terminal demand resistance to high-priced cotton. Cotton spinning companies face rising inventory pressure, with some mills already cutting production to support prices. This contrasts sharply with the chemical fiber sector, indicating that downstream order structures are tilting toward chemical fiber products.
From a regional industrial cluster perspective, weaving mills in Shengze and Shaoxing focused on chemical fibers benefit short-term from enhanced product pricing power due to rising raw material costs. In contrast, cotton textile hubs like Nantong and Weiqiao face the dual squeeze of high raw material costs and weak finished product prices, further narrowing profit margins.