Polyester Bottle Flakes Show Initial Decline Followed by Rise This Week (Jan. 16–23, 2026)

January 23 news

This week (2026.01.16-01.23), the polyester bottle chip market first declined and then rebounded, with futures and spot prices rising in tandem. The lowest point of the week was on Monday, and there was a strong increase on Friday. As of January 23rd, the main futures contract closed at 6448 CNY/ton, up 8.0% from Monday; the mainstream spot prices in East China were 6340-6400 CNY/ton, an increase of 200-300 CNY/ton from the beginning of the week. According to the commodity market analysis system, as of January 23rd, the average selling price in the East China region was 6400 CNY/ton.

Core Factor Analysis

Strong cost support: With rising crude oil and PTA prices, polyester raw material costs increased by approximately 4.1% this week, and cost transmission is driving an upward revision in bottle flake quotations.

The supply side remains tight and constrained: Weekly production reached 325,300 tons (down 9,400 tons from the previous week), with a capacity utilization rate of 70.24% (down 2.03 percentage points from the previous week). Several plants are undergoing maintenance, leading to tighter availability of some product sources. Low inventory levels and low operating rates are supporting higher prices.

Futures drive spot market sentiment: The energy and chemical sector as a whole has strengthened, with polyester chip futures rising significantly, boosting market confidence. Factories have collectively raised their quotes by 50-200 CNY per ton.

Strong underlying demand on the consumer end: Downstream inventory replenishment ahead of the Spring Festival is largely complete, with demand now driven primarily by sporadic, essential needs. Transactions are concentrated in March orders; prices have risen, but trading volumes remain subdued.

Future Market Outlook

We believe that, in the short term, prices are likely to remain strong amid cost support and tight supply conditions, with an expected trading range of 6,300–6,500 CNY per ton. However, downstream demand remains weak during the off-season, limiting buyers’ willingness to chase higher prices, which could restrain further price increases in the future.