Polyester filament led the textile raw material market with a 2% weekly gain, while acrylonitrile fell 4.46% during the same period, reflecting a cost and demand mismatch within the chemical fiber chain. Official price monitoring for the last week of August 2026 showed the textile sector's average weekly change was merely 0.03%, but beneath the calm surface, significant divergence is unfolding.
Market Context
Among 17 monitored textile commodities, 10 rose and 3 fell during the week. Polyester POY, DTY, and FDY increased by 2.00%, 1.76%, and 1.70%, respectively, ranking as the top three gainers. Meanwhile, acrylonitrile dropped 4.46%, PTA fell 3.67%, and polyester staple fiber declined 0.96%. Notably, polyester staple fiber and filament, both from the polyester chain, moved in opposite directions, suggesting that cost is not the sole driver.
Year-on-year, most products remain at elevated levels. Acrylonitrile is up 44.12%, PTA has risen 26.54%, and all three polyester filaments show gains exceeding 21%. This indicates that while short-term fluctuations occur, the long-term cost base has shifted upward, keeping pressure on downstream weavers.
Industry Impact
The rise in polyester filament is linked to seasonal maintenance at some plants, tightening supply, and restocking demand from downstream buyers at the tail end of the off-season. However, PTA's 3.67% decline failed to drag filament prices down, signaling that supply-demand dynamics, not raw material costs, are currently the primary pricing factor. For buyers, this suggests filament prices may stay firm in the short term, but a correction could follow once supply normalizes.
Acrylonitrile's sharp drop highlights weak demand from downstream acrylic fiber producers. Despite the decline, year-on-year prices remain high, indicating that the earlier price bubble is being deflated, but the process may not be complete. Factories relying on acrylonitrile may benefit from lower input costs, yet they must guard against further price falls that could erode inventory value.
The cotton chain remained stable, with cotton lint edging up 0.06% and cotton yarn flat, reflecting a stalemate in the cotton market. Viscose staple fiber and spun rayon rose modestly by 0.42% and 0.69%, respectively, showing some support but limited momentum. Overall, the uneven performance between chemical fibers and cotton will push downstream buyers toward more refined procurement strategies.