Can You Understand the Current Synthetic Fiber Market Trends?

The recent developments in the chemical fiber industry are really confusing.

Brent crude oil (3.1-3.9 2026)

- 3.1–3.3: $78–82/bbl, slightly upward movement

- 3.4–3.6: $82–$93 per barrel, steadily rising

- 3.9: Opened at 99.75 → surged to over 111 dollars per barrel during the day → closed down to 89.79 dollars per barrel, a volatile range of more than 25% on the same day.

Polyester filament (POY/FDY/DTY, 2026.3.1–3.9)

- 3.1–3.5: up 100–200 yuan/ton per day, cumulative increase of over 350 yuan/ton

- 3.7: A universal increase of 500 yuan/ton

- 3.8: Increase by 500 yuan/ton

- March 9: The benchmark price surged by RMB 1,000–2,500 per metric ton in a single day, with a cumulative increase of RMB 3,000 per metric ton over three days; POY mainstream prices reached RMB 9,500–10,000 per metric ton, and FDY prices reached RMB 10,500–11,350 per metric ton.

Crude oil keeps rising, pushing up PX, PTA, and ethylene glycol prices. The upstream costs are driving the price increases. Within a few days, major companies in the polyester filament industry have collectively raised their prices, with single-day increases exceeding 1,000 yuan. The WeChat moments are full of price increase notices, and the futures market is fluctuating greatly. A few days ago, it was surging higher, but then suddenly fell sharply.

Some say strong cost support will push prices higher; others argue that downstream demand cannot absorb the increases, so any sharp rise is merely speculative.

Polyester plant operating rates are declining, with many units entering maintenance, leading to a contraction in supply. However, downstream weaving operating rates are recovering slowly, characterized by numerous small orders but few large ones, and neither domestic nor export orders have seen the anticipated surge in volume.

Finished goods inventory is gradually piling up, polyester yarn inventory days continue to rise, upstream prices are surging sharply, and downstream buyers are becoming increasingly cautious in placing orders.

Among synthetic fibers, polyester and nylon prices have surged alongside rising costs, while spandex and viscose remain weak—showing stark divergence across segments. Some players are reaping huge profits, while others are still teetering on the edge of losses.

Every day there are new updates, from geopolitics, oil prices, maintenance, orders, inventory, with conflicting indicators and polarized views.

Some say it's a cyclical reversal, while others argue it's just emotional speculation.

Can you understand the current synthetic fiber market situation???