ASF price movement
Acrylic Staple Fibre prices stayed largely rangebound through May and June ****, even as upstream feedstocks corrected sharply. The *.*D CIF NE Asia grade held near $*.** per kg for most of June, ending flat week-on-week and up *.* per cent since mid-May. The *.*D**mm FOB China grade eased *.* per cent in the final week, down just *.* per cent over six weeks, while *.*D**mm China Domestic slipped similarly, down *.* per cent weekly and *.* per cent overall. This stability contrasts sharply with raw materials: Propylene collapsed **–** per cent across regions between mid-May and mid-June, and acrylonitrile, its key derivative, fell a more modest *.*–*.* per cent. Since propylene underpins acrylonitrile costs, and acrylonitrile drives ASF pricing, the muted fibre response suggests producers are absorbing raw material relief as margin recovery rather than passing it downstream, likely due to existing inventory and locked-in orders. The late-June dip in FOB China and Domestic China ASF grades may signal this lag finally catching up. Firm ASF pricing despite falling inputs also points to resilient underlying yarn and apparel demand. If propylene weakness persists, expect acrylonitrile and eventually ASF to soften further into July, narrowing producer margins currently supported by this feedstock-to-fibre price gap.
Raw material picture: A much steeper slide
The feedstock side tells a very different story.
