On July 23, 2026, the commodity price monitoring data for the textile sector sent a clear signal: the chemical fiber segment is undergoing a collective cost-driven rally. Six textile products recorded price increases, all from the chemical fiber and its raw material categories. Polyester DTY rose 2.02% to 9,462.50 CNY/ton, polyester FDY increased 1.41% to 8,758.33 CNY/ton, and PTA gained 0.84% to 6,156.50 CNY/ton. In contrast, cotton yarn, viscose, spandex, and nylon prices remained flat, indicating that this is not a broad-based rally but one with distinct upstream cost transmission characteristics.
Price Anomaly: Cost-Driven, Not Demand-Pulled
Year-on-year, PTA led with a 27.43% increase, followed by polyester FDY at 25.05% and polyester POY at 22.96%. Acrylonitrile rose 26.75% YoY, and spandex gained 22.34%. These figures point to a core fact: upstream petrochemical raw material price fluctuations are rapidly transmitting downstream. PTA, as the direct raw material for polyester filament, directly impacts polyester production costs. Since the second half of 2025, international crude oil price volatility combined with tight PX supply has pushed PTA prices higher, providing the cost basis for the polyester rally.
Notably, cotton-related products remained subdued. Cotton rose only 0.10% daily, while cotton yarn 21S and 32S prices were unchanged. This stark contrast with chemical fibers reflects a relatively balanced cotton market, stabilized by state reserve cotton release policies. For textile buyers, the widening price gap between cotton and chemical fibers means the cost advantage of substituting cotton with chemical fibers is narrowing.
Chain Transmission: Weaving Under Pressure, Dyeing Costs May Follow
The rise in polyester DTY and FDY directly impacts downstream weaving mills. In the Jiangsu-Zhejiang weaving clusters—Shengze, Changxing, Xiaoshan—polyester filament accounts for over 70% of raw material costs. Based on current price increases, weaving costs per ton of grey fabric will rise by approximately 150-200 CNY. However, whether grey fabric prices can rise in tandem depends on final order volumes. Industry research indicates current weaving capacity utilization is around 70%, with the domestic market in a slack season and export orders limited to restocking, not volume expansion.
This means weavers may face margin compression from rising raw material costs but stagnant product prices. Some small and medium-sized mills have already reduced raw material purchases, shifting to inventory consumption. If this wait-and-see attitude persists, it could suppress polyester filament demand and trigger price corrections. The dyeing sector also faces cost transmission: PTA increases drive up dye intermediate prices, potentially raising processing fees. For apparel brands and traders, higher procurement costs in the second half of the year are almost certain.
Regional and Category Divergence: Varying Impacts Across Industrial Clusters
Different industrial clusters show varying sensitivity to this price rally. Shengze, specializing in polyester faux silk and memory fabrics, has high raw material cost sensitivity and weak bargaining power, making it the most vulnerable. The Keqiao market, dominated by cotton blends and chemical fiber fabrics, gains some buffer from stable cotton prices, but polyester-heavy categories still face pressure. Nantong's home textile sector, primarily cotton and polyester-cotton blends, benefits from stable cotton prices, but rising chemical fiber filling costs may affect final product pricing.
By category, polyester filament fabrics (e.g., spring yarn, polyester taffeta, oxford cloth) face the most direct cost increases. Nylon products (e.g., nylon fabrics) saw no price changes, but raw material caprolactam recently showed upward signs, requiring close monitoring. Viscose staple fiber and spandex prices remained flat, limiting cost impact on stretch fabrics and knits.