Quarterly Update on Global Polyester Staple Fiber (PSF) Market
For the Quarter Ending September 2020
Asia
The Asian PSF market took longer-than expected to level up since July as sluggish sales continued to hamper the already oversupplied market. However, the overall demand showed signs of recovery entering September amid the peak season as some countries observed activity ahead of the festive season and boosted year-end sales. Some Indian traders were heard sighing that the outbreak of coronavirus has dragged the global economy into recession, which has eventually affected the consumption of polyester-made textile products such as garments during the quarter. China which is the world's largest polyester producing country reported improved operating rates on the back of rising export orders. PSF 1.4 Denier FOB NE Asia were assessed around USD 700 per tonne during the quarter, despite firming feedstock Monoethylene Glycol (MEG).
North America
The North American PSF market struggled to recover the lost uptrend during the third quarter due to disrupted trade dynamics and macroeconomic fragility on account of rising COVID-19 cases in the several economies. As per the market updates, Hurricane Laura forced several US polyester fiber plants to remain shut in Bay Saint Louis and Mississippi, causing them to stay non-operational for over a month. Major producers in the region reported subdued sales and pressured rates despite reportedly slight gains observed in the feedstock Monoethylene Glycol (MEG) due to regional material shortage.
Europe
European textile imports stayed muted-to-low during the quarter as major players were heard grappling with ample polyester inventories. The market players seemed apprehensive as dampened production rates in the textile sector which may remain pressured against the backdrop that some European countries declared lockdowns to combat second wave of coronavirus infections may continue to affect the offtakes. European apparel imports have declined at a much slower pace in August and Chinese PSF export volumes to EU were assessed to decline by about 20% in volume terms, from the previous year. As PSF strongly traces feedstock MEG, prices remained additionally impacted with the firming feedstock.
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Company-wise installed capacity, production volume and plant operating efficiency is captured directly from manufacturers. Import and Export volume is captured from government sources and demand for Acrylonitrile is calculated considering the production, import, export and inventory-levels on the country and regional level markets.
Acrylonitrile price is correlated with the price trend of crude oil, demand-supply gap, Propylene and with movement across the downstream derivatives such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) etc.
Basic details and information on financial performance of leading global players in the Acrylonitrile market is presented in a visually captivating manner. Expansion plans and the company’s strategy is also captured to understand the vision and mission of the company to help understand the areas where companies need to focus more.
Daily updates on industry-specific and product-specific news, exclusive primary-based news capturing plant shutdowns/outages/closures, capacity expansions, operating rates, insights on demand-supply situation, awarding of technology licenses, new product launch and deals specifying mergers and acquisitions, strategic investments and disinvestments, to help players capitalize on market opportunity.
ChemAnalyst gathers information through primary research surveys conducted with various Polyester Staple Fiber (PSF) manufacturers, spread across the domestic and international market, suppliers and dealers/distributors to gain insights into value-chains and demand-supply scenario to assess the market situation. Thorough study of company’s annual reports and secondary sources such as exhaustive search on credible paid databases, including our internal database is done to verify the information. All the collected information is analyzed, evaluated and presented in chronological order to depict a meaningful and clear picture of the concerned market.
Our dedicated team of industry experts comprehensively monitors and analyzes various aspects of the Global Polyester Staple Fiber (PSF) market. The team analyzes various industrial segments, strategic viewpoints and provides an analysis of the industry’s performance in the long run. This would enable our clients in efficiently plan their future investments, mitigate risk, understand the cost dynamics and strike out a balance amidst market volatility.
Critical examination of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the global supply chains and shift in demand patterns with change in buying behavior of consumers across the globe.
Several ongoing development projects across industries are tracked, followed by the details of major projects in the development stage, which can positively or negatively influence Global Polyester Staple Fiber (PSF) market.
Pricing is captured through exhaustive primary interviews with domestic and international manufacturers, traders and importers and customers on weekly, monthly and yearly basis.
Finally, region-specific markets for Polyester Staple Fiber (PSF) are analyzed and region-wise demand pattern is tracked.
Polyester Staple Fiber (commonly abbreviated as PSF) is a synthetic fiber obtained by the polymerization of Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) and Mono Ethylene Glycol (MEG) or from PET Chips or PET/Polyester waste and post consumed PET bottles. PSF can be produced in many variations and grades to meet desirable quality standards. Polyester Staple Fiber (PSF) has emerged as the fastest growing fiber amongst all types of man-made fibers possessing appearance similar to cotton or wool fiber when baled. Technically, PSF is obtained by co-polymerization of PTA and MEG feedstocks. The polymer thus obtained is melt spun and the bundle of continuous filaments thus obtained by melt spinning is called tow. The tow is further made to undergo processes like drawing, crimping, spin finish and then cut into fixed lengths to get cut fibers, almost equal in length known as PSF. PSF is widely used for spinning yarns and making geotextiles, and certain PSF is known in the industry as “fiber for fill,” because it is primarily used as a polyester fiberfill. PSF is also widely used as stuffing in sleeping bags, mattresses, ski jackets, comforters, cushions, sofas, pillows, and furniture. Polyester staple is generally spun to make polyester spun yarn, which is then knitted or weaved into fabrics. To fight the global issue of reduction of non-biodegradable wastes, there has been increased focus of the economies towards manufacturing Polyester Staple Fiber (PSF) from recycled non-biodegradable pet bottle waste.
