On July 24, 2026, the spot market for polyester POY in Zhejiang showed subtle shifts. Three major producers in Shaoxing and Hangzhou—Juxing Chemical Fiber, Rongsheng Petrochemical, and Senkai New Materials—updated their quotes for 150D/48F semi-dull POY to 8,500, 8,450, and 8,550 CNY/ton respectively. This seemingly routine price list reveals an industry signal: the price spread widened from near uniformity to 100 CNY/ton, and the overall price center has fallen from earlier highs.
Capacity Logic Behind Price Divergence
The three companies' quotes are not random fluctuations. Juxing and Senkai, both in Shaoxing, quoted 8,500 and 8,550 CNY/ton, while Rongsheng in Hangzhou offered the market's lowest at 8,450 CNY/ton. This intra-regional divergence reflects varying inventory pressures and sales strategies. Rongsheng, as an industry leader, uses an aggressive 8,450 CNY/ton price to grab orders and accelerate destocking.
In terms of product specification, the quoted 150D/48F semi-dull POY is a commodity-grade polyester filament, mainly used downstream for conventional fabrics. The price easing directly indicates weak purchasing willingness from weaving mills. Public industry data shows that since Q2 2026, the operating rate of looms in Jiangsu and Zhejiang has dropped from a peak of 85% to around 75%, with grey fabric inventories accumulating continuously, leading to POY procurement limited to essential needs and near-zero speculative stocking.
Price Transmission and Chain Reaction
As an intermediate product in the polyester filament chain, POY price fluctuations cascade downstream to DTY, FDY, and final fabric products. The current POY price easing means cost-side pressure is being released to the weaving segment. For draw-texturing mills using POY as raw material, lower raw material costs theoretically benefit profit recovery, but only if DTY selling prices adjust simultaneously; otherwise, profit margins remain squeezed.
More notably, this price adjustment occurs in the late traditional off-season. Typically, late July marks the start of autumn/winter fabric stocking, but this year the market is notably weak. Export orders are limited by high overseas inventories and destocking cycles; the domestic market is dragged by weak consumer confidence, slowing apparel retail growth. The synchronized weakness upstream and downstream leaves POY prices without upward support.
Practical Impact for Buyers and Exporters
POY price easing is a short-term positive for buyers, but risks of further price declines and inventory depreciation must be watched. Exporters need to reassess raw material cost changes when quoting to avoid profit erosion from lagged pricing.