Price Trends

According to the SunSirs Commodity Market Analysis System, the domestic polyester staple fiber market has exhibited a slight upward trend since mid-April. As of April 28, the average market price for domestic polyester staple fiber (1.4D*38mm) stood at 8,263 RMB/ton, representing an increase of 2.36% compared to April 14.

Market Analysis

Driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, international crude oil prices have remained firm, with the upward trend providing a boost to market values. On April 27, the settlement price for the June contract of U.S. WTI crude oil futures stood at $96.37 per barrel, while the settlement price for the June contract of Brent crude oil futures was $108.23 per barrel.

Since mid-April, the PTA market has trended upward amidst volatility. As of April 28, the average spot price for PTA in the East China region stood at 6,807 RMB/ton—a 7.43% increase compared to April 13. The scale of PTA plant maintenance has expanded significantly; as scheduled shutdowns were progressively implemented, operating rates declined rapidly to approximately 65%, marking a historical low for this time of year. With the increase in scheduled maintenance, PTA inventories have reached an inflection point and have begun to enter a destocking phase. Furthermore, the recent imposition of U.S. sanctions on a major enterprise in Dalian—the country's largest PTA producer—could potentially lead to a further reduction in PTA production loads.

Downstream yarn enterprises are maintaining a strategy of purchasing solely to meet immediate, essential needs, resulting in a predominantly cautious trading atmosphere within the market. April and May typically mark the traditional off-season for the textile industry; with a shortage of end-market orders for apparel and home textiles, weaving mills are operating at utilization rates hovering around 60% to 65%. While market buying interest remains reasonably steady due to pre-holiday inventory stocking at the retail end, a strong wait-and-see sentiment prevails across the sector as a whole.

Market Outlook

Analysts at SunSirs believe that, in the near term, cost-side factors will remain relatively strong; meanwhile, the tightening supply-demand balance for PTA is providing favorable support to staple fiber prices. Moving forward, continued attention should be paid to geopolitical developments and shifts in downstream demand.

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