On July 23, 2026, the Shengze polyester filament yarn market experienced a cost-driven price hike. Major polyester plants raised their opening quotations by 100-150 yuan/ton, with some specifications like 50D/24F seeing increases of up to 200 yuan/ton. This round of price increases was directly driven by rising international oil prices and stronger polyester feedstock costs, coupled with tight supply in some varieties, prompting factories to push prices higher.
Short-Term Game Between Cost and Demand
From the factory price list, the entire FDY semi-dull series followed the upward trend, with increases concentrated in the 100-200 yuan/ton range. The 50D/24F specification was particularly prominent, with Taicang Shenshen and Shaoxing Tiansheng each raising prices by 200 yuan/ton to 9,650 yuan/ton and 9,600 yuan/ton, respectively. The FDY bright series saw relatively uniform increases, with most specifications up 100 yuan/ton. The FDY full-dull series also increased by 100 yuan/ton, with the 40D/48F specification reaching 12,200 yuan/ton. This round of price adjustments indicates that polyester plants have a strong willingness to support prices under cost pressure.
However, it is worth noting that the current polyester filament yarn market is not fully recovering. Industry data shows that July is traditionally a slack season for textile consumption, with terminal orders performing poorly. Coupled with widespread high temperatures and heavy rainfall across the country, the comprehensive weaving operation rate in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces remains at a multi-year low. This means that actual purchasing demand from downstream texturing and weaving mills is limited, and their enthusiasm for chasing price increases is low. Polyester plants reported that sales volumes for the day were not large, with the production-to-sales ratio only average, and bulk transactions were nearly absent.
Broken Transmission in the Industrial Chain
This round of price increases has exposed a broken transmission mechanism in the industrial chain. Upstream polyester plants are forced to raise prices due to cost pressures, but intermediate texturing enterprises and downstream weaving mills, facing insufficient orders themselves, are unwilling to pay for raw material price increases. This pattern of "upstream rises, downstream cannot follow" is common during the textile industry's off-season.
From an inventory perspective, polyester plants currently maintain reasonable inventory levels of polyester filament yarn, with a few varieties indeed experiencing tight supply. This provides some support for short-term prices. However, overall, weak demand on the end-user side is the core variable determining price trends. Without substantial improvement in terminal orders, downstream procurement cannot increase significantly, and the upside for prices will be clearly limited.
Short-Term Price Firm but Gains Capped
In the short term, polyester filament yarn prices are likely to remain firm and upward, supported by cost factors. Localized small price increases may continue for certain specifications with tight supply. However, considering the off-season factor and low weaving operation rates, gains will be capped by weak demand. For buyers, current prices are not an opportunity to chase increases; it is advisable to purchase based on actual needs and control inventory risks. For polyester plants, it is crucial to closely monitor changes in downstream operating rates and signals of terminal order recovery to avoid imbalances between production and sales due to failed cost pass-through.