Textile Raw Material Market Diverges: Acrylonitrile Surges, Polyester Staple and Cotton Yarn Under Pressure

On July 28, 2026, the domestic textile bulk commodity market showed clear divergence. Among 17 monitored varieties, only 2 rose, 7 fell, and the rest remained flat. The overall sector average daily change was only 0.02%, indicating the market is in an equilibrium state before a directional move.

Acrylonitrile: Driven by Cost and Supply-Demand

Acrylonitrile led the sector with a daily increase of 1.61%, reaching 10,533.33 yuan/ton. More notably, its year-on-year increase of 33.62% was the highest among all varieties. This trend is closely linked to rising upstream propylene prices and strong demand from downstream ABS resin and acrylic fiber. For the textile chain, this means acrylic fiber and carbon fiber precursor costs will continue to face upward pressure, narrowing procurement windows for related spinning mills.

Polyester and Cotton Yarn: Weak Demand Drags Prices

In contrast, polyester staple fiber, cotton, and cotton yarn showed widespread weakness. Polyester staple fiber fell 0.46% to 7,498.33 yuan/ton, with its year-on-year gain shrinking to 13.51%; cotton fell 0.28% to 17,609.67 yuan/ton, up 13.19% year-on-year; cotton yarn 21S and 32S fell 0.14% and 0.20% respectively. This combination is a warning sign: simultaneous declines in polyester staple fiber and cotton often reflect a phase of weak terminal textile and garment orders. Cotton yarn, as a key intermediate for fabric production, may transmit price weakness to grey fabric and home textiles.

Spandex and PTA: Concerns Amid High Prosperity

Spandex prices held at 29,666.67 yuan/ton, up 22.34% year-on-year, but unchanged for the day. Spandex has remained at high levels for months, putting significant cost pressure on downstream elastic fabric producers. PTA edged down 0.06% to 5,993.34 yuan/ton, with a year-on-year increase of 23.26%. PTA price fluctuations directly impact the profit margins of polyester filament and staple fiber. Current PTA inventory is moderate; if crude oil prices fall, PTA could lead the entire polyester chain downward.

Viscose and Nylon: Stability Hides Opportunities

Viscose staple fiber was flat at 14,200 yuan/ton, up 9.74% year-on-year; nylon series products were all flat, with year-on-year gains between 10% and 16%. The stable performance of these two sectors indicates relatively healthy supply-demand dynamics for man-made fibers and nylon. For buyers, current viscose staple fiber prices are near the six-month average, offering some value for price locking.

Market Outlook and Operational Suggestions

Overall, the late-July textile raw material market shows a pattern of 'strong upstream, weak midstream.' Acrylonitrile and similar chemical fiber raw materials are being pushed higher by cost pressures, while natural fiber varieties like cotton and cotton yarn are constrained by weaker-than-expected consumer demand recovery. This divergence is expected to persist through mid-to-late Q3.

For Buyers - Accelerate procurement of acrylonitrile and acrylic fiber products to lock in current prices and avoid further increases. - Cotton yarn and polyester staple fiber can be watched; monitor the start of autumn/winter orders in August. If demand doesn't improve, prices may still have room to fall. - Viscose staple fiber at current stable prices is suitable for quarterly contracts to stabilize costs.

For Foreign Trade Enterprises - When quoting export orders, incorporate the high year-on-year increases of acrylonitrile and spandex into cost calculations to avoid losses from raw material volatility. - Keep cotton and cotton yarn export quotes flexible, monitoring the transmission of ICE cotton futures to domestic spot prices. - Nylon and polyester filament products are relatively stable and can serve as anchor varieties for short-term quotes.