Nylon DTY prices have been hovering in the middle of their one-year range for a full year. On August 5, 2026, the benchmark price stood at 16,120 yuan per ton, unchanged from the start of the month. The number itself is not striking, but within a 12-month perspective, it sits exactly between the low of 13,560 and the high of 18,960 yuan, with a 2,840 yuan gap to the top and a 2,560 yuan cushion above the bottom. A sideways market is not the absence of movement; rather, it signals compressed volatility and deeper structural dynamics in the textile chain.
Supply-Demand Standoff Behind the Flat Price
Over the past 12 months, the average daily price of nylon DTY was only 15,163.72 yuan, notably lower than the current level, indicating a slight upward shift in the second half. However, zero daily changes suggest no single-sided momentum. Upstream costs, such as caprolactam and nylon chips, have remained relatively stable, while downstream weaving and apparel orders have not recovered strongly enough to push prices higher. This deadlock is not uncommon in textile raw materials, but lasting a full year indicates that both sides are waiting for clearer signals.
From an industrial cluster perspective, small and medium factories in concentrated nylon areas like Xiaoshan and Changle have adopted make-to-order strategies, reducing spot inventories. A trader in Shaoxing revealed that customer inquiries have decreased, but once prices are locked, order volumes expand—indicating that end demand has not vanished, but is suppressed by high prices. The mid-range position implies market acceptance of the current level, yet lacks a catalyst for breakout.
Implications of the Mid-Range Position
A mid-range annual position is often interpreted as “fair value,” but its meaning varies by link. For upstream polymerization plants, it means squeezed margins because raw material costs fluctuate more; for downstream weaving mills, it offers a relatively stable procurement window but limits profit opportunities from raw material spreads. More critically, the gaps to both high and low exceed 2,500 yuan, suggesting that price elasticity remains, and once supply-demand imbalances break, volatility could expand rapidly.
Historically, nylon DTY prices tend to strengthen in the fourth quarter driven by winter fabric demand. Currently, in early August, we are at the transition between off-season and peak season, yet expectations for the “golden September and silver October” are not high. Public industry data shows that textile and apparel export growth slowed in the first half of 2026, and domestic demand has not shown significant volume increases, limiting trend support for prices.
The Event: What the Benchmark Price Really Means
The benchmark price from Shengyi She is not an official guide, but it has become a widely used pricing anchor in the industry. The August 5 data is noteworthy because it confirms the “sideways” fact, rather than the price itself. For buyers, this means abandoning the chase-up and sell-off mentality, focusing instead on inventory turnover and order rhythm. For mills, a mid-range environment calls for cost control and product differentiation rather than betting on market swings.
Notably, the annual average being lower than the current price suggests that prices were lower early in the year and gradually recovered. This recovery was more cost-push than demand-pull, so its sustainability is questionable. Foreign trade enterprises should particularly watch exchange rate fluctuations and shipping cost changes, as when raw material prices are stable, other variables have a greater impact on order profitability.