On August 17, BASF announced a price increase of $0.08 per pound (approximately $176.4 per metric ton) for caprolactam, polyamide 6, and copolyamide (PA6/66) in North America, effective September 1, 2026. In its price adjustment notice, the company stated that evolving global conditions continue to cause significant volatility across the nylon value chain, and it does not rule out further price adjustments in the future.
Including the upcoming September increase, BASF’s cumulative hikes on the North American nylon chain have reached $0.59 per pound. The company raised prices by $0.15/lb in January, $0.06/lb in March, $0.20/lb in April, and $0.10/lb in June—four increases within half a year.
In tandem with the rising raw material costs in the North American nylon market, domestic producer AdvanSix has followed suit. On July 29, AdvanSix notified customers of a $0.12/lb increase for caprolactam, polyamide 6, and copolyamide (PA6/66), effective August 3. AdvanSix is an independent U.S.-listed chemical company, spun off from Honeywell in 2016, specializing in nylon 6 resin, caprolactam, and ammonium sulfate fertilizers.
Since the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran conflict, spot prices for caprolactam and polyamide 6 have remained elevated. According to assessments by Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, caprolactam prices peaked in late May at $1.42/lb (DDP U.S. Gulf Coast), up 54% from $0.92/lb in late February. After retreating to $1.21/lb in late July, they rebounded to $1.39/lb on August 12.
Polyamide 6 prices followed a similar trajectory, with the U.S. Southeast ex-works price at $1.45/lb on August 12, up from $0.99/lb in late February.
Rising crude oil and naphtha prices have pushed up benzene costs, as benzene is a key feedstock for caprolactam. Although caprolactam has no direct trade ties with the Middle East, the broad surge in upstream raw materials—including crude oil, benzene, and sulfur—has steadily driven up production costs for caprolactam.
Caprolactam spot prices completed a full roller-coaster cycle from $0.92/lb to $1.42/lb between late February and mid-August. With BASF raising prices four times in six months, AdvanSix following in lockstep, and major chemical players such as Invista and Celanese issuing price adjustment notices, the wave of price hikes across the nylon chain continues unabated.
