April polyester yarn exports hit new high again

Polyester yarn exports have remained robust in 2025. From January to April, exports of pure polyester yarn totaled 179,000 tons, marking a year-on-year increase of 14.7%. In April alone, export volume reached 50,000 tons, up 16.2% YoY and 6.8% MoM, second only to January's pre-Chinese New Year peak season.

In contrast, imports continue to decline. From January to April 2025, total imports stood at 725 tons, down 5.6% YoY.

In April's total polyester yarn exports, single yarn accounted for 23,000 tons, ply and cable yarn accounted for 19,000 tons and sewing thread made of synthetic staple fiber accounted for 9,000 tons. The share of single yarn increased, while ply yarn's proportion declined.

From the perspective of major export partners, the three product categories show distinct patterns. In single yarn exports, Egypt, Brazil, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Jordan rank as the top five destinations, accounting for around 54% of the total-indicating a relatively concentrated market. For ply yarn, Bangladesh dominates with a 34% share, followed by Vietnam, Pakistan, and Egypt. The top five countries together account for 56%, also reflecting market concentration. In contrast, synthetic sewing thread (i.e., dyed and finished final sewing thread products) is exported to over 160 countries, with a large number of destinations and a dispersed share-only 25% of exports go to the top five countries.

From the perspective of major origins, single yarn exports are highly concentrated in Fujian, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang provinces, which together account for 80% of the total. White ply yarn is primarily shipped from Hubei, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang, with these three provinces making up 68%. For synthetic sewing thread, Zhejiang overwhelmingly dominates with a 67% share. This is mainly because many enterprises engaged in dyeing, finishing, and export of sewing thread are based in Zhejiang. White yarn produced in other regions is often dyed and finished in Zhejiang before being exported.

In 2025, domestic demand faces pressure, but polyester yarn has maintained a steady growth trend in exports, significantly easing the burden on spinning mills. The continuous growth in polyester yarn exports is driven, on one hand, by its low domestic prices and high quality, which give it strong market competitiveness, and on the other hand, by the shift of domestic textile and apparel orders to other countries.

Overall, China's polyester yarn exports remain robust and have not been affected by tariff issues. The month-on-month growth is expected to continue in May and June, and total exports in Q2 may exceed 150,000 tons, with year-on-year growth likely to further accelerate.