During the 34th week of 2026 (August 24-28), textile bulk commodity prices presented a striking contrast: polyester POY, DTY, and FDY rose by 2.00%, 1.76%, and 1.70%, respectively, while acrylonitrile and PTA dropped by 4.46% and 3.67%. These seemingly contradictory movements reflect distinct supply-demand dynamics across different segments of the industrial chain.
Market Overview
The overall average change in the textile sector was merely 0.03%, masking significant underlying volatility. Among the tracked commodities, ten rose while only three fell, but the declines were deeper than the gains. Polyester filament led the upside, with prices reaching 8,767.5 RMB/ton (POY), 9,930.71 RMB/ton (DTY), and 8,970 RMB/ton (FDY), all up over 21% year-on-year. In contrast, acrylonitrile plunged 4.46% to 11,433.33 RMB/ton, despite still being 44.12% higher than last year. PTA also fell 3.67% to 6,213.25 RMB/ton, with year-on-year growth narrowing to 26.54%.
Nylon products (DTY, POY, FDY) also advanced, but by smaller margins of 0.29%-0.97%. Cotton-related items such as cotton yarn and polyester yarn were largely flat, while silk, viscose staple fiber, and modal rose modestly. This divergence suggests capital and demand are concentrating in the chemical fiber segment.
Industrial Impact
The strength of polyester filament is directly supported by downstream weaving mills' restocking demand. Late August is the peak season for autumn/winter fabric orders, with loom operating rates in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces remaining high, creating rigid demand for POY and DTY. Additionally, firm upstream PX prices facilitated cost pass-through, allowing polyester producers to raise prices smoothly. However, with polyester prices already 20% above last year, if final apparel consumption disappoints, high raw material costs could squeeze weaving profits and dampen future orders.
Acrylonitrile's slump tells a different story. As a feedstock for acrylic fiber and ABS resin, acrylonitrile faces pressure from newly commissioned capacity, while downstream acrylic fiber mills operate at low rates due to weak final demand and only purchase on a need basis. This oversupply has driven prices down. PTA's decline also stems from ample supply, but is more tied to oil price fluctuations and high inventory levels. For chemical fiber enterprises, the divergence in raw material costs complicates cost management, with the 'strong polyester, weak acrylonitrile' trend likely to persist into Q4.
From a profit distribution perspective, profits are shifting from upstream raw materials (acrylonitrile, PTA) to downstream fiber segments (polyester, nylon). This highlights that in a cycle of capacity mismatch, players with pricing power will capture excess returns. Textile companies should closely monitor inventory days and operating rates to anticipate price turning points.