1. Report Industry Investment Rating No relevant content provided. 2. Core Viewpoints of the Report - In January 2026, international oil prices rebounded significantly. The OPEC+ is expected to continue the policy of suspending crude oil production increase in February. Although the traditional demand peak season continues, the upward momentum of oil prices is not strong due to the background of supply - demand surplus. [5][124][127] - The polyester industry chain is affected by the Spring Festival. In February, the demand will decline first and then rebound rapidly. The decline in demand has limited negative impact on prices, and the main influencing factor lies in the supply side. If the supply does not increase significantly, the price decline due to seasonal demand drop is a buying opportunity. [8][10] - In the short - term, the profits of PX, PTA, and bottle chips are still strong in February, while the profits of filament are difficult to improve in the short - term. In the long - term, the new production capacity of filament and staple fiber will increase in 2026, and the production profits may be under long - term pressure. The profit of coal - based ethylene glycol improved in January and still has room for improvement in the future. [128] 3. Summary According to the Directory 3.1 Polyester Industry Chain Market Review - In January, the prices of polyester industry chain varieties fluctuated greatly. PX price was relatively weak, while PTA and bottle chips were relatively strong. Ethylene glycol, which performed poorly in 2025, rebounded significantly in January. [16] - **PX**: The PX price was affected by the tight PTA supply since the fourth quarter of 2025. In January 2026, the PX price was weakly correlated with crude oil. The PX futures had a maximum cumulative increase of 23.2% from the lowest point in October 2025 to the highest point in January 2026. [17][19] - **PTA**: In January, the PTA average monthly operating rate increased by 1.8 percentage points compared with December 2025. The PTA social inventory changed from destocking to stocking, but the stocking speed was relatively moderate. The PTA futures price increased slightly more than PX from the low point in October 2025 to the high point in January 2026. [20][22][24] - **MEG**: In January, the ethylene glycol operating rate decreased slightly. The oil - based ethylene glycol profit improved slightly, and the coal - based ethylene glycol profit approached the break - even point. The ethylene glycol price rebounded rapidly from a low level. The maximum cumulative increase from the lowest point in late December to the highest point in January was 12%. [25][26] - **Staple Fiber**: In January, the staple fiber operating rate increased significantly. Affected by the price increase of PTA and ethylene glycol, the staple fiber processing fee was poor. The staple fiber price increased, but the increase was slightly lower than the increase in polymerization cost. [27][32] - **Bottle Chips**: In January, the bottle chip operating rate continued to decline, reaching a low level in recent years. Although the domestic bottle chip demand was in the off - season, the supply contraction offset the weak demand, and the bottle chip profit was relatively strong. [33][35] 3.2 OPEC+ Suspends Production Increase Policy, but the Expectation of Supply Surplus Remains - **Geopolitical Instability and Weather Factors**: In early January 2026, the OPEC+ meeting confirmed the policy of suspending crude oil production increase in the first quarter of 2026. It is expected that the meeting on February 1 will maintain this policy. Geopolitical factors such as the relations between the US and Venezuela and Iran will affect the crude oil supply expectation, but the impact on supply is weak under the background of global crude oil supply surplus. The cold weather in January affected the oil production in the US and Kazakhstan, but the impact is short - term. [36][37] - **Supply and Demand Forecast**: The EIA raised the global crude oil production forecast for 2026 to 10765000 barrels per day in January, an increase of 23000 barrels per day compared with the December forecast. The EIA significantly lowered the 2026 demand forecast by 34000 barrels per day compared with the December forecast. The EIA predicted a supply surplus of 2830000 barrels per day in 2026 and 2080000 barrels per day in 2027. [37][39][42] - **Oil Price Trends**: In January, international oil prices rebounded significantly, with a cumulative increase of more than 14%. The winter heating demand will continue in February, and oil prices are still expected to rise. However, under the background of supply surplus, attention should be paid to the risk of oil prices falling after rising. [43][50][52] 3.3 Low Operating Rates in Multiple Links, with a Decline Expected in Spring Maintenance - **No New Production Capacity Pressure in the Short - Term, but Many Equipment Maintenance Plans**: In the first quarter of 2026, there are no new production plans for PX, PTA, and ethylene glycol. The operating rate changes will affect the supply. The spring maintenance of petrochemical equipment around March usually has a greater impact on the operating rates of PX and PTA. Currently, the PX operating rate is high, and the PTA operating rate is low. [53][54][61] - **Ethylene Glycol Supply Expected to Decline, and Import Cost May Rise**: In 2026, there are three new ethylene glycol production devices planned to be put into operation, but there is a possibility of delay. The ethylene glycol operating rate is expected to continue to decline, and the supply is expected to decrease. The import cost may rise due to the increase in natural gas prices. [69][71][79] 3.4 Demand Affected by Seasonal Factors, Polyester Operating Rate to Decline First and Then Rebound - **Demand Fluctuations Concentrated in February, with Good Long - Term Demand**: In January 2026, the demand for the polyester industry chain continued to decline. In February, affected by the Spring Festival, the operating rates of polyester and looms will decline first and then rebound rapidly. In the long - run, the industry chain demand is generally good. [80] - **PTA Expected to Stock Moderately, Ethylene Glycol Inventory Still under Pressure to Increase**: In January, the PTA social inventory changed from destocking to stocking, and the ethylene glycol inventory continued to increase, but the stocking speed slowed down. In February, the PTA stocking speed may accelerate, but it is expected to be moderate. The ethylene glycol inventory still has the pressure to increase, but the decline in the operating rate may offset the stocking pressure. [91][92][94] - **Poor Profits of Polyester Products, Difficult to Improve in the Short - Term**: In January, the polymerization cost increased, and the demand for polyester products first increased and then decreased. The processing fees of filament and staple fiber were poor, while the processing fee of bottle chips increased slightly. In the short - term, the profits of filament and staple fiber are expected to be relatively poor, and the pressure on the profits of filament and staple fiber is still high in the long - term. [95][96][97] - **Seasonal Stocking of Filament, Supply Decline to Offset Stocking Pressure**: In 2025, the export volumes of major polyester products such as filament, bottle chips, and staple fiber increased year - on - year. In January 2026, the filament inventory showed a differentiation trend, and the stocking situation will continue in February. The staple fiber inventory was relatively good in January, but there is still stocking pressure in February. [101][103][109] - **Greater Fluctuations in Loom Operating Rate, and the Downstream Prosperity May Increase**: Before the Spring Festival, the operating rates of pure polyester yarn and looms will decline to the lowest point, and then rebound rapidly after the festival. The average operating rate of looms in 2026 is expected to be higher than that in 2024. [112][113] 3.5 Domestic Demand for Textile and Apparel Expected to Increase, and the Export Market May Improve - **Low Growth Rate of Domestic Textile and Apparel Demand in 2025, Expected to Accelerate in 2026**: In 2025, the cumulative year - on - year growth rate of China's total retail sales of consumer goods was 3.7%, and the growth rate in December was 0.9%. The domestic retail sales of textile and apparel in December 2025 increased by 0.6% year - on - year. With the implementation of domestic demand - promoting policies, the domestic demand for textile and apparel is expected to grow faster in 2026. [118][120] - **Easing of Global Economic and Trade Relations Conducive to the Recovery of Textile and Apparel Exports**: In 2025, China's total export value increased by 5.5% year - on - year. The total export value of textile and apparel decreased by 2.4% year - on - year, with textile exports increasing by 0.5% and clothing exports decreasing by 5%. Affected by the US tariff policy, clothing exports decreased in 2025, and are expected to recover in 2026. [121][122] 3.6 Summary and Outlook - **Summary**: In January 2026, international oil prices strengthened. PX and PTA prices were weak at the beginning of the oil price rebound due to the decline in polyester industry chain demand. The sharp rise in overseas natural gas prices boosted the ethylene glycol price. In January, the PX operating rate was stable, the PTA average monthly operating rate increased, the ethylene glycol average monthly operating rate decreased slightly, and the polyester operating rate continued to decline. The PTA inventory changed from destocking to stocking, and the ethylene glycol inventory continued to increase. The profits of PX and PTA were good, and the profits of filament were poor. [124][125][126] - **Outlook**: In February 2026, the OPEC+ may continue to suspend crude oil production increase. The traditional demand peak season continues, but the upward momentum of oil prices is not strong. The polyester industry chain demand will decline due to the Spring Festival, and the operating rates of polyester and looms will decline first and then rebound. The price decline due to seasonal demand drop is a buying opportunity. The ethylene glycol inventory may continue to increase, and attention should be paid to the decline in the operating rate. In the short - term, the profits of PX, PTA, and bottle chips are still strong, while the profits of filament are difficult to improve. In the long - term, the profits of filament and staple fiber may be under pressure. [127][128]