The latest weekly data (June 23-29) from Zhejiang Changxing Textile City reveals that persistent declines in upstream polymerization raw materials are transmitting downstream, with polyester filament yarn prices falling by 150-200 RMB/ton across multiple specifications. Despite relatively stable fabric transaction volumes, this price adjustment is reshaping procurement rhythms and product structures for weaving mills.
Raw Material Side: Polymer Raw Material Declines Hit Polyester Filament, Rigid-Demand Procurement Window May Open
The continuous drop in upstream polymerization raw materials is the primary driver of this week's polyester filament price pressure. Industry data indicates insufficient overall trading volume, yet demand divergence among specifications is evident.
- Bright FDY 75D retains some demand but has fallen to around 8,600 RMB/ton, with lower-grade bright yarn for jacquard lining fabric even cheaper.
- FDY 61D is under pressure due to sluggish sales of taffeta and spun-like fabrics, with prices sliding to 8,800-8,900 RMB/ton, and the lowest transaction price touching 8,800 RMB/ton.
- DTY 150D/144F (small draw texturing) is priced around 9,000 RMB/ton, down 100-150 RMB/ton from last week.
Notably, DTY 75D/72F network yarn and specifications like 75D/144F and 100D/144F have seen increased trading volumes. This is driven by rising production of fully elastic spun-like printed sanded grey fabrics, which have broad applications and strong sales, directly boosting demand for these DTY specs.
Weaving mills remain cautious, with a heavy wait-and-see atmosphere. However, given rigid demand and consecutive price cuts, a centralized procurement cycle is expected soon. Pure polyester yarn 32s and 45s maintain some sales, with 45s seeing slightly higher volume, though prices for both pure polyester and polyester-cotton yarns have also declined. Polyester staple fiber (1.56*38mm cotton type) averages around 7,550 RMB/ton, showing weak consolidation.
Fabric Side: Lining Prices Weak to Stable, Differentiated Products Become Sales Highlights
Despite falling raw material prices, fabric transaction volumes this week were acceptable, with lining fabric quotes showing a weak-to-stable trend. Significant structural divergence is apparent among specific varieties.
- Satin lining (five-rev) continues to sell well with low inventory, indicating stable demand.
- Cotton velvet lining sales have rebounded, with jacquard cotton velvet leading the recovery and becoming a market highlight.
- Twill lining has seen a recovery in transaction volumes, potentially signaling a bottom for some conventional lining varieties.
- In contrast, sales of water-jet taffeta, lightweight fabric, and semi-elastic spun-like fabric remain weak, while water-jet fully elastic spun-like sanded grey fabric sales are slow to grow.
This divergence suggests that in a weak overall market, fabrics with differentiated features or specific applications are more likely to gain market recognition. For weaving mills, adjusting product mix toward high value-added or functional fabrics is an effective strategy to cope with raw material price volatility.
Industry Impact: Procurement and Production Decisions Under Price Transmission
The weekly data from Changxing market illustrates how raw material price declines are transmitting through the supply chain step by step. Lower polyester filament prices compress raw material costs for weaving mills in the short term but also pose inventory depreciation risks, leading to widespread hesitation.
For foreign trade companies, current raw material prices are relatively low. Combined with the upcoming procurement cycle, this may be an opportune time to lock in costs for forward orders. However, given the clear divergence in price trends across specifications, priority should be given to DTY specs linked to differentiated fabric demand, such as 75D/144F and 100D/144F.