The July 17 textile commodity price data sends a clear signal: the chemical fiber sector is undergoing a pronounced divergence. Acrylonitrile and polyester staple fiber were the only two gainers, rising 0.35% and 0.30% respectively, while five products including PTA, polyester POY, and raw silk declined. The daily average change was -0.01%, hiding underlying shifts.
Acrylonitrile and Spandex: High Prosperity Driven by Supply-Demand Dynamics
Acrylonitrile closed at 9,600 yuan/ton, up 22.29% year-on-year, one of the highest among monitored items. This is closely tied to sustained demand from downstream ABS resin, carbon fiber, and acrylic sectors. Frequent maintenance shutdowns at domestic acrylonitrile plants have tightened supply, while orders remain stable, supporting prices. Spandex prices were flat on the day but surged 22.34% year-on-year to 29,666.67 yuan/ton. The high prosperity is driven by demand from sportswear and stretch fabrics, coupled with slow new capacity additions, maintaining a tight supply-demand balance.
PTA and Polyester Filament: Cost Pressure and Profit Redistribution
PTA fell 0.44% to 5,985.91 yuan/ton, the biggest daily decline. The weakness stems from crude oil volatility, ample PX supply, and a seasonal drop in downstream polyester operating rates. As a core intermediate in the polyester chain, PTA's decline directly impacted pricing for polyester POY and DTY, which fell 0.23% and 0.07% respectively. Polyester FDY remained flat, indicating varied supply-demand conditions across filament types. For weavers, lower PTA prices ease raw material costs, but limited pass-through to polyester yarns means buyers should monitor processing spreads.
Raw Silk: Sole Year-on-Year Decliner, Sericulture Challenges Persist
Raw silk closed at 425,100 yuan/ton, down 10.34% year-on-year, the only product in negative territory. This reflects headwinds from weak demand and substitution effects. As a high-end consumer good, silk is sensitive to global consumption downgrades, while rayon and silk-like synthetics continue to erode market share. Fluctuations in domestic cocoon output and sluggish recovery of overseas orders also weigh on prices. For key sericulture regions like Guangxi and Jiangsu, enhancing value-added processing and expanding applications remain critical.
Cotton and Viscose: Stable Prices, Hidden Pressures
Cotton yarn 21S and 32S held steady at 23,333.33 yuan/ton and 24,725 yuan/ton, up 6.71% and 6.23% year-on-year. Cotton lint edged down 0.02% to 17,729.33 yuan/ton, up 15.31% year-on-year. The cotton chain shows strong raw materials but stable yarns, squeezing mill margins. Viscose staple and yarn prices were also flat, with year-on-year gains of 9.74% and 4.06%. The viscose market is in a traditional off-season, with modest downstream orders and rising inventories.