Core Price Trends: A Stepped Decline Throughout the Month; All polyamide Filament Varieties Weakened in Unison

In May 2026, the domestic polyamide filament market exhibited an overall trend of stepped decline; the price center of gravity for all varieties continued to shift downward, lacking any support for a periodic rebound.

In terms of price performance by product category:

Polyamide DTY (Jiangsu, 70D/24F Semi-dull): At the beginning of the month (May 1), the ex-factory price stood at 17,560 RMB/ton. Prices remained stable during the first ten days of May; however, starting May 9, the market initiated its first round of decline, falling to 17,200 RMB/ton. Subsequently, on May 17, a second round of decline began, pushing the price down to 17,020 RMB/ton. By the end of the month (May 29), the price had fallen further to 16,640 RMB/ton—representing a cumulative drop of 920 RMB/ton from the start of the month, or a decline of 5.24%.

Polyamide POY (Jiangsu, 86D/24F Semi-dull): The price at the beginning of the month was 15,450 RMB/ton. It remained stable during the first ten days of May; on May 9, it underwent a first round of decline, falling to 15,050 RMB/ton; on May 17, a second round of decline brought it down to 14,875 RMB/ton; by the end of the month, the price had dropped to 14,500 RMB/ton—representing a cumulative decline of 950 RMB/ton from the start of the month, or a decrease of 6.15%.

Polyamide FDY (Fujian, 40D/12F Semi-dull): The price at the beginning of the month was 18,175 RMB/ton. It held steady during the first ten days of May; on May 9, it fell to 17,775 RMB/ton; on May 17, it dropped to 17,575 RMB/ton; by the end of the month, the price had fallen to 17,000 RMB/ton—marking a cumulative decline of 1,175 RMB/ton from the start of the month, or a decrease of 6.46%.

Overall, the prices of the three major types of polyamide filament products exhibited a pattern of "plateau-style decline" throughout the month; following each round of price drops, prices would stabilize briefly before trending downward once again. Furthermore, the magnitude of the decline for FDY and POY exceeded that of DTY, indicating significant overall downward pressure on the market.

Upstream Raw Materials: Cost Support Continued to Weaken; Market Lacked Upward Momentum

The primary raw materials for polyamide filament are caprolactam (CPL) and polyamide chips. In May, the upstream raw material market generally trended downward, causing cost-side support for polyamide filament to continue to weaken.

Raw Material Prices Trend Lower: In May, the domestic caprolactam market was characterized by weak supply and demand dynamics. On the supply side, operations resumed at various production facilities following the completion of scheduled maintenance, leading to an increase in market circulation volume. Conversely, on the demand side, downstream polyamide chip and spinning enterprises adopted a cautious procurement stance—focusing primarily on meeting immediate, essential needs—which resulted in caprolactam prices trending downward amidst market volatility. The sustained decline in raw material costs directly eroded the cost support underpinning polyamide filament, thereby creating room for a subsequent decline in the prices of downstream products.

Industry Operating Rates and Inventory Pressures: Operating rates among upstream polyamide chip manufacturers remain at moderately high levels, ensuring ample overall market supply. Conversely, downstream spinning enterprises are primarily engaging in demand-driven procurement with limited willingness to build up inventory; consequently, chip stockpiles are gradually accumulating. This situation has further intensified bearish market sentiment, making it difficult to generate any effective upward momentum for polyamide filament prices.

Downstream Demand: End-market orders remained sluggish, and follow-through in actual market transactions was insufficient.

The lackluster performance of demand in the polyamide filament market during May served as the primary driver behind the continued downward trend in prices.

Insufficient End-Market Textile Orders: Downstream weaving and warp-knitting enterprises reported sluggish order volumes; in particular, orders for standard apparel and home textile products lacked any notable highlights. Consequently, operating rates at these firms remained at relatively low levels, resulting in limited demand for essential polyamide filament purchases. Some weaving enterprises focused primarily on depleting their existing inventories, as the inflow of new orders remained insufficient and the pace of procurement slowed down.

Market activity remains sluggish, and inventory pressures are cascading through the supply chain: polyamide filament manufacturers are facing significant pressure to move inventory, as stock levels continue to accumulate. To alleviate this burden, some enterprises have proactively lowered their quoted prices to stimulate sales, thereby driving the overall market price center downward. Meanwhile, traders are adopting a cautious stance—primarily engaging in "buy-and-sell-as-you-go" strategies—while speculative purchasing demand has all but vanished; consequently, the market lacks the support of substantial trading volume.

Seasonal demand provides limited uplift: Although May typically marks the traditional peak season for the textile industry, demand in the downstream market has failed to show the anticipated recovery this year. Lacking confidence in future market prospects, downstream enterprises are largely maintaining a wait-and-see attitude; their overall purchasing enthusiasm remains subdued, rendering them unable to generate any upward pull on polyamide filament prices.

Market Outlook:

Overall, in May 2026, the polyamide filament market faced dual pressures—weakening cost support and sluggish downstream demand—causing the price center to drift steadily downward. The market operated within a generally weak framework, lacking positive news to provide a boost, while manufacturers grappled with mounting pressure regarding product shipments and inventory levels.

Looking ahead, the polyamide filament market continues to face significant uncertainty: if upstream raw material prices remain weak, cost-side support is unlikely to see any substantial improvement; conversely, if downstream end-market demand fails to show a material recovery, market prices will likely maintain their weak trajectory, with the possibility of further declines not ruled out. In the short term, market participants should focus closely on fluctuations in raw material prices, the status of downstream order follow-through, and changes in manufacturing operating rates. The market is expected to remain largely stable but weak, with little likelihood of a sustained upward trend.

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