Antai Textile: Three Decades of Navigating Market Turbulence, Forging a 'Stabilizer' in the Textile Industry with Resilience and Innovation

In Zhangjiagang in July, the summer heat is intensifying, yet there is a steady bustle in the office building of Antai Textile. Li Xiong, the Marketing Manager, just put down an acrylonitrile market weekly report, turned to Huang Wei, the Production Director sitting opposite him, and traced a few curves on the report with his fingertips: 'Jilin Petrochemical's new 260,000-ton plant will start production at the end of the month, and Shandong Haijiang's maintenance will also end soon. We need to make moves in advance regarding the acrylonitrile supply side.' Huang Wei nodded, opened the production log at hand, which was densely filled with recent raw material consumption and finished product inventory records: 'The workshop just completed the debugging of the third color spinning production line last week, increasing the daily capacity of colored acrylic tops by 15%, which exactly meets this wave of downstream stock replenishment demand.'

This conversation is a microcosm of Antai Textile's response to market turbulence over the past three decades. Since its establishment in Zhangjiagang in 1993, this textile enterprise, mainly engaged in acrylic yarn, acrylic tops, colored acrylic tops, and fancy yarns, has long developed a keen sense of seizing opportunities from industry fluctuations. And now, the subtle changes in the acrylonitrile market are giving this sense a chance to shine.

As the core raw material for acrylic fiber production, every movement in acrylonitrile affects the nerves of the industrial chain. The latest data shows that as of July 10, the average capacity utilization rate of the domestic acrylonitrile industry has slightly risen to 76.20%, with a weekly output of 83,100 tons and inventory increasing to 45,800 tons. 'It seems that supply and demand are becoming looser, but the release of Jilin Petrochemical's new capacity and the resumption rhythm of Shandong Haijiang after maintenance may lead to short-term supply fluctuations of "tight first, then loose",' Li Xiong explained, pointing to the inventory curve on the report. 'Last week, Lihuayi lowered its quotation by 50 yuan/ton to 7,900 yuan/ton, which is one of the signals—although the pressure on raw material costs has eased, crude oil prices remain high due to geopolitical conflicts, and the "swings" in acrylic fiber prices will continue.'

Such 'swings' are challenges for downstream enterprises, but for Antai Textile, they are opportunities to demonstrate its strength. 'In the first half of this year, acrylic fiber inventory dropped by 30% year-on-year, hitting a new low in recent years, and many customers are worried about supply disruptions,' Huang Wei said with confidence. 'But we launched the "Flexible Raw Material Reserve Plan" in March, locking in some long-term contracted price raw materials in advance based on the maintenance schedules and capacity expansion progress of acrylonitrile plants. Currently, the acrylonitrile inventory in the workshop can meet 45 days of full-load production, ensuring on-time delivery of customer orders even if there are short-term supply fluctuations.'

This confidence stems from Antai Textile's meticulous refinement of the production end. Entering the production base in Zhangjiagang, in the intelligent spinning workshop, dozens of imported German blowing-carding unit equipment are operating at high speed. Fibers are carded, drawn, and twisted into rolls of uniformly colored acrylic yarn. 'The "Digital Dyeing Center" upgraded with an investment of 20 million yuan last year has increased the color fastness of colored acrylic tops by 1.5 grades and shortened the delivery cycle from 15 days to 7 days,' Huang Wei pointed to the color card wall at the end of the workshop, which displays more than 2,000 standard color numbers. 'Downstream clothing brands now pursue "small orders with quick response". Our colored acrylic tops do not require secondary dyeing; customers can directly spin and weave them upon receipt, reducing inventory pressure by at least half.'

In terms of product innovation, Antai Textile better understands 'riding the trend'. As consumers' demand for personalized and functional textiles increases, the company's focus on developing fancy yarn series in recent years—including loop yarn, slub yarn, and neps yarn—has become a 'new favorite' among sportswear and home textile brands. 'Last month, we just signed an order with a leading outdoor brand in Zhejiang. The "imitation lamb wool acrylic yarn" they need uses our original "two-component composite spinning process", which is 30% warmer than ordinary acrylic and can be machine-washed without deformation,' Li Xiong took out a sample. The yarn was fluffy and soft yet resilient enough to resist deformation. 'For such high-value-added products, even if raw material prices fluctuate, the profit margin can remain stable.'

After three decades of deep cultivation, Antai Textile is no longer just a 'yarn producer' but a 'stabilizer' of the industrial chain. From providing antibacterial acrylic tops to well-known domestic home textile brands to customizing environmentally friendly recycled acrylic yarn for cross-border e-commerce, the company's products cover more than 20 provinces and cities and are exported to Southeast Asia, Europe, and other regions. 'Last month, an old customer said that their peers delayed autumn orders due to raw material supply disruptions, but we not only delivered on time but also helped them optimize the yarn ratio, reducing fabric costs by 8%,' Li Xiong said with pride. 'This is Antai's value—not just selling products, but more importantly, selling "certainty".'

Outside the window, cargo ships at Zhangjiagang Port whistle past, carrying textile raw materials and finished products to all parts of the world. For Antai Textile, the rise and fall of the acrylonitrile market and fluctuations in acrylic fiber prices are just waves in the long river of the industry. What truly drives the enterprise to move forward steadily is its 30-year adherence to quality, dedication to innovation, and determination to face challenges side by side with customers. As Huang Wei often says: 'As long as the machines in the workshop keep running, customers' confidence will not stop. What Antai aims to do is to let every yarn carry the "reliable" warmth and weave a resilient future for the textile industry.'