The technical textile industry in the first five months of 2026 delivered a seemingly stable but deeply divided performance. Output of nonwovens by above-scale enterprises surged 9.5% year-on-year, and tire cord fabric rose 3.8%, yet total profit still contracted 3% year-on-year. While overall revenue turned positive with a modest 1.7% increase, the operating profit margin slipped to 3.6%. These figures indicate a deepening game between capacity expansion and cost pressure, with uneven profit recovery across segments.
Segment Divergence: Nonwovens Shine, Traditional Categories Struggle
Nonwovens remain the core growth engine. Revenue of above-scale nonwoven enterprises grew 2.5%, while total profit soared 9.9%, and the operating profit margin improved to 2.7%. This is backed by stable demand for hygiene materials like masks and wipes, as well as strong export momentum—nonwoven exports reached $1.93 billion, up 10.7%, with export volume surging 13.4% to 770,000 tons. In contrast, rope, cable, and cordage saw profit drop 9.7%; tarpaulins and canvas fell 5.7%; and textile belts and tire cord fabric revenue shrank 4.1%. These traditional categories face more intense domestic competition and raw material cost pass-through pressure.
Export Resilience, Emerging Markets as Growth Poles
Total industry exports hit $18.81 billion, up 5.3%, while imports were $2.28 billion, up 3.1%, widening the trade surplus. By category, coated technical fabrics led with $2.19 billion in exports but grew only 1%; absorbent textiles (diapers, sanitary pads) reached $1.76 billion, up 10.7%, and wet wipes surged 14.7%. Notably, technical glass fiber products exceeded $1 billion in exports, growing 12.2%, reflecting strong demand from construction reinforcement and new energy sectors.
By destination, the US, Vietnam, and Japan ranked top three, but growth diverged: exports to the US grew only 3.5%, to Vietnam 8.3%, and to Japan a mere 0.9%. Meanwhile, exports to Belt and Road countries reached $11.34 billion, accounting for about 60% of total exports, with a growth rate of 5.5%, forming a stable export base. This means foreign trade enterprises overly reliant on traditional US and European markets will soon hit a growth ceiling.
Raw Material Price Decline Eases Cost Pressure
In June 2026, international oil prices fell sharply, with geopolitical premiums fading. Polyester, nylon filament, and polypropylene fiber prices all weakened, while viscose staple fiber oscillated between cost support and weak demand. The trading logic of the chemical fiber industry is shifting from 'geopolitical drivers' to 'supply-demand fundamentals.' For technical textile companies, short-term raw material cost pressure has eased, but whether end demand will recover synchronously remains a key variable.