In the third week of July 2026, caprolactam prices hit 12,400-12,500 yuan/ton, up about 500 yuan/ton from the previous week, with monthly gains exceeding 15%. This sharp upstream surge quickly transmitted to nylon 6 chips, which jumped to 12,900-13,000 yuan/ton. For the Shengze and Jiaxing nylon weaving hubs, this means raw material costs have been revalued within a month, squeezing weavers' profit buffers.
Differentiated Cost Pass-Through
The price hike did not trigger a broad-based increase across all nylon yarn types. Standard specifications like nylon-6 FDY 40D/12F and 70D/24F saw notable volume growth in the first half of the week, with market prices stable at around 15,500 yuan/ton and 14,400 yuan/ton (domestic), respectively. However, dull 40D and 70D FDY varieties saw only modest recovery, while bright FDY sales remained sluggish.
This divergence reflects weavers' cautious 'order-driven restocking' mentality—only grades with confirmed downstream orders can justify higher raw material costs. For instance, the recent active trading of 100D nylon-6 FDY in spray-woven luggage fabrics is directly tied to recovering export luggage orders. The 160D nylon air-textured yarn, when interwoven with 70D/24F nylon-6 FDY for taslon fabrics—especially the honeycomb taslon variety—has become a market hotspot, with stable trading at around 15,600 yuan/ton.
Real Demand Strength
The core contradiction in the nylon chain is that upstream costs have risen fast, but downstream end-demand recovery hasn't caught up. Fabric market feedback shows autumn/winter export orders are indeed increasing, and domestic sportswear demand is showing signs of life, but these increments remain at a 'trial order' stage rather than large-scale procurement.
A structural bright spot is the slight demand uptick for 30D/1F semi-dull nylon monofilament (first grade), primarily used in water-jet window screen and wedding dress fabrics. These high-value, small-lot, quick-turnaround orders are less price-sensitive and can absorb cost increases. Meanwhile, bright nylon FDY interwoven with rayon for shimmer nylon-cotton fabric, though currently slow, is seen as a potential growth variety for the next phase.
Next Week Outlook & Industry Impact
Considering both raw material and demand sides, nylon yarn trading volumes are expected to continue rising next week, with prices likely to adjust upward. However, the extent of adjustment will be constrained by two factors: first, weavers' margins are already at multi-year lows—if raw material costs rise too fast, some small and medium mills may cut production or switch to other fibers; second, brand buyers' autumn/winter fabric budgets are not yet fully released—if fabric prices exceed their psychological thresholds, orders may be postponed or reduced.
For nylon weavers in Shengze and Jiaxing, the priority strategy is to 'lock orders and control inventory'—prioritize existing orders and avoid hoarding high-priced inventory. At the same time, they should monitor demand inflection points for dull and bright varieties and adjust product mix accordingly.