While most spandex manufacturers are squeezing profit margins amid low-end overcapacity, leading players are shifting investment toward high value-added segments. On August 18, Xinxiang Chemical Fiber started construction on Phase II of its 100,000-ton functional spandex project, pushing the capacity race for 20D and finer spandex to a new level and signaling the industry's clear transition from scale expansion to quality-driven growth.
Project Core and Capacity Focus
Phase II plans a 50,000-ton main production workshop covering 65,000 square meters, plus auxiliary facilities. The project will focus on producing 20D and finer functional spandex, which is becoming a key raw material for upgrading sportswear, high-end home textiles, and functional intimate apparel due to its skin-friendly feel and fine elasticity.
Technically, the project adopts continuous polymerization dry spinning with a globally unique 200-head spinning channel, integrated with automatic doffing and intelligent sorting systems. This enables full-process digital control from precision detection to smart production management. The power system introduces high-efficiency machine rooms and AI-based energy distribution, aiming to reduce unit energy consumption while raising capacity, setting a reference for smart factories in the industry.
Notably, Phase I is expected to start production by year-end, with Phase II following closely, indicating an accelerated capacity release in high-end spandex. For buyers, this means a considerable increase in domestic supply of 20D and finer spandex over the next two years, potentially easing the current tight supply for premium grades.
Industry Context and Supply-Demand Logic
The domestic spandex industry is currently undergoing low-end capacity consolidation alongside expanding high-end demand. Prices for conventional grades remain fiercely competitive, while penetration of ultra-fine, functional, and green spandex continues to rise, driven by downstream consumption upgrades—sportswear demands for elasticity and comfort, and high-end home textiles for touch and durability, all pushing fabric makers toward superior elastic fibers.
From a supply-chain perspective, the project directly strengthens the weak link in high-end textile materials in the central region. Previously, high-end fine-denier spandex capacity was concentrated on the eastern coast, causing supply imbalances and long lead times for downstream companies. Once operational, the project will shorten supply chains for central-region buyers, reduce transportation and time costs, and may prompt other spandex makers to accelerate their own high-end offerings, sparking a new round of technological competition.
Moreover, the project integrates “5G + Industrial Internet” concepts, which is not merely a buzzword but signifies a shift from experience-driven to data-driven production. If this intelligent transformation becomes a replicable model, it will elevate overall manufacturing standards, but it also raises entry barriers for smaller enterprises due to higher capital and technical requirements.