On July 29, the textile raw material market delivered a 'slight rise but internal divergence' report card. According to the price monitoring data from a domestic industry platform, two commodities in the textile sector posted a daily increase, while one declined, with an overall average daily change of merely +0.02%. However, looking at year-on-year figures, the disparity among varieties becomes stark: PTA surged 23.73% YoY, acrylonitrile skyrocketed 34.18% YoY, while cotton, despite a 12.90% YoY gain, was the only decliner on the day, falling 0.26%.
Chemical Fiber Chain: PTA and Polyester Staple Fiber Lead, YoY Gains Solid
PTA closed at 6,017.34 yuan/ton, up 0.40% from the previous day, the largest increase in the textile sector. This strength is not a short-term phenomenon; the 23.73% YoY gain reflects dual support from upstream PX costs and sustained high operating rates in downstream polyester production. Polyester staple fiber edged up 0.17% to 7,511.33 yuan/ton, with a 13.89% YoY increase, also in an upward channel. Polyester filament yarn series—POY, DTY, FDY—remained flat on the day but posted YoY gains ranging from 18% to 25%, indicating a systemic cost-push inflation across the entire polyester chain over the past year.
For weaving mills, this means the cost base for grey fabrics has been structurally lifted. Buyers of polyester fabrics need to reassess the pricing benchmarks for long-term contracts, especially given the volatility in crude oil prices, where short-term pullback risks coexist with medium-term upward momentum.
Cotton Side: Cotton Drops Alone, Supply-Demand Game Intensifies
Cotton was the only decliner on the day, with prices falling from 17,609.67 yuan/ton to 17,564.67 yuan/ton, a drop of 0.26%. Despite a 12.90% YoY increase, this single-day decline is a noteworthy signal. The pressure on the cotton market primarily stems from expectations of a global production increase in the new season, along with sluggish downstream cotton yarn prices (21S and 32S) remaining flat for consecutive days at 23,300 yuan/ton and 24,675 yuan/ton, failing to follow the upstream. This price stagnation in cotton yarn indicates poor transmission from end-apparel orders, squeezing spinners' profit margins.
Raw silk prices remained unchanged at 422,700 yuan/ton, down 9.98% YoY, the only variety with a negative YoY change. This suggests continued weakness in silk consumption, with the high-end fabric market facing destocking pressure.
Other Varieties: Acrylonitrile Soars YoY, Spandex Holds High
Acrylonitrile was quoted at 10,533.33 yuan/ton, with a YoY surge of 34.18%, the highest among monitored items. Acrylonitrile is a key raw material for acrylic and carbon fibers, and its price spike directly pushes up costs for related specialty fabrics. Spandex was quoted at 29,666.67 yuan/ton, up 22.34% YoY, but has been flat for several days, indicating a high-level consolidation after the earlier surge. Viscose staple fiber rose 9.40% YoY, and rayon yarn rose 4.06% YoY; the regenerated cellulose fiber chain showed relatively moderate gains, weakening its substitution competition with cotton.