China’s overseas sales of polyester staple fibre (PSF) picked up sharply in August, though the year-on-year picture stayed weak.
Over the first eight months, volumes barely moved from a year earlier, and traders expect higher prices to drag the full-year total into decline.
August trade data
Chinese Customs figures show that exports of PSF totaled to 139.3 kilo tons (KT) in August 2026. That was 25.4% higher than July, but 12.2% lower than a year earlier.
January-August cumulative figures
Exports for the first eight months of 2026 amounted to roughly 1.098 million tonnes, only 0.12% above the same stretch of 2025, as the pace of expansion cooled again.
Leading destinations
“Within the top ten export markets for January-August, Vietnam and Pakistan stayed at the head of the table, although volumes to each were slightly lower than a year before,” CCF reported.
India and Indonesia, in contrast, recorded surging growth, with Russia and Turkey also posting firm increases. Changes in market share were marginal across the board, moving by roughly 1%.
Price trends
PSF export prices continued to slip in August, with the average dropping to about $1,050 per tonne. Overseas quotations have trailed the sharp movements in domestic prices, a lag that is a notable feature of the export market.
Outlook
Export prices are forecast to recover gradually in September. Even so, elevated prices are expected to restrain demand from downstream buyers, so shipments are likely to ease again in the next few months, leaving total exports for the year on course for negative growth.
