Asia PET Resin Market Update: Inventories Fall to 1–3 Days as Feedstock Costs Rally

According to the September 18, 2026 ICIS Polyethylene Terephthalate report, Asia PET export prices continued their upward rally, propelled by higher feedstock costs and extensive plant operating cuts. With factory inventories draining to an extreme 1–3 days, several major Chinese suppliers are completely sold out for September and October shipments, shifting negotiations directly to November allocations.

Key Price Indicators & Supply Metrics

• Sharp Inventory Depletion: Producer inventory days contracted to an unprecedented 1–3 days as ongoing plant outages (including Sanfame, Yisheng Petrochemical, and Jiangyin Chenggao) pushed China's overall bottle-grade operating rates down to 56.2%.
• Deep Market Backwardation: Prompt cargoes command a heavy premium over forward shipments. With September and October allocations virtually sold out across major Asian hubs, initial spot offers for November shipments have emerged at slightly discounted levels compared to the soaring prompt market.

Procurement Advisory for Global Converters

While downstream converters are showing resistance to elevated pricing due to end-of-year seasonal softening, production margins remain under extreme pressure, preventing suppliers from lowering price floors. With Chinese export activity pausing during the upcoming National Day Golden Week holidays, securing November factory allocations early is essential to avoid logistic bottlenecks.