Volatile Acrylonitrile Market: Antai Textile Steadily Breaks Through to Seize New Opportunities with Three Decades of Accumulation
Recently, the domestic acrylonitrile market has been volatile, bringing significant uncertainty to the downstream acrylic yarn industry. As of July 10, the average capacity utilization rate of China's acrylonitrile industry has slightly increased to 76.20%, with a weekly output of approximately 83,100 tons. Jilin Petrochemical's expanded 260,000-ton/year acrylonitrile plant is scheduled to start production by the end of July; meanwhile, Shandong Haijiang's 130,000-ton/year acrylonitrile plant was temporarily shut down for maintenance for about 10 days starting from July 7, and factory inventories have also slightly increased. Coupled with multiple factors such as Lihuayi's acrylonitrile spot price being reduced by 50 yuan/ton, fluctuations in international crude oil prices, unclear production plans of Jilin Chemical Fiber, and tariff negotiations between the United States and major economies, acrylic fiber prices face the risk of significant volatility in the coming weeks. Faced with this complex situation, Antai Textile Co., Ltd., located in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu Province and deeply rooted in the industry for over three decades, is actively responding and seeking opportunities amid challenges with its keen market insight and prudent production and operation strategies.
“We are closely monitoring these market developments,” said Li Xiong, Marketing Manager of Antai Textile, when analyzing the recent market situation. “As the main raw material for acrylic fiber, the price fluctuations and supply conditions of acrylonitrile directly affect our production costs and order delivery. The commissioning of Jilin Petrochemical's new plant may increase the market supply of acrylonitrile in the long run and ease potential raw material shortages; however, in the short term, the maintenance of Shandong Haijiang and changes in inventories may trigger phased market adjustments. What we need to do is to predict in advance and adjust flexibly.”
Founded in 1993, Antai Textile has established a good reputation in the production of acrylic yarn, acrylic top, colored acrylic top, and various fancy yarns after nearly three decades of development. The company not only has large-scale production bases but also continues to invest in technological research and development and product innovation. Li Xiong further explained: “In the face of possible price fluctuations, on the one hand, we optimize procurement strategies and maintain close cooperation with upstream suppliers to ensure stable raw material supply and cost control; on the other hand, we focus more on enhancing market competitiveness through product structure optimization.”
Factory Director Huang from Antai Textile's Production Department deeply agrees. “The more uncertain the market, the more important refined management and process optimization on the production side become,” Director Huang introduced. “We continuously improve production processes for different specifications of acrylic yarn and acrylic top, aiming to improve production efficiency and reduce unit energy consumption. Especially in terms of colored acrylic top and fancy yarns, we have unique dyeing and spinning technologies, enabling us to produce products with bright colors and diverse styles. These high-value-added products are relatively less sensitive to raw material price fluctuations and can instead gain more favor in the process of seeking market differentiation.”
It is understood that Antai Textile's colored acrylic top series products, with their characteristics of high color fastness, small color difference, and stable batches, have become the preferred raw material for many downstream knitting and weaving enterprises in producing high-end fabrics. The various fancy yarns it has developed, such as loop yarn, slub yarn, and knot yarn, have further met the demand for personalization and diversification in fashion apparel, and market demand remains strong amid the current trend of consumption upgrading. “When the basic raw material market faces uncertainty, customers are more inclined to choose suppliers that can provide stable quality and innovative products,” Li Xiong said confidently. “Antai Textile's advantages in this regard give us the confidence to cope with various market challenges.”
In the face of the upcoming tariff negotiations between the United States and major economies, Antai Textile is also well-prepared. The company is actively expanding diversified markets and consolidating cooperation with existing domestic and foreign customers by improving product quality and service levels. “No matter how the external environment changes, enhancing our core competitiveness is an eternal theme,” Li Xiong concluded. “Antai Textile will continue to uphold the philosophy of ‘Winning by Quality, Respecting Customers’, relying on our professional accumulation and technical strength in the acrylic fiber field. We will not only provide customers with high-quality products but also strive to become their trustworthy partners, jointly going through market cycles and achieving sustainable development. We believe that with the steady management style accumulated over three decades and accurate grasp of market trends, Antai Textile will surely move forward steadily amid this market volatility and contribute to the healthy development of the industry.”