PA6 (Nylon 6) Price Trend and Forecast

Regional Price Overview

Get the latest insights on price movement and trend analysis of PA6 (Nylon 6) in different regions across the world (Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa).

PA6 (Nylon 6) Price Trend for the Second Half of 2023

Asia

The Asian polycaprolactam market was majorly hinged upward during the second half of the year 2023. OPEC+ decided to push the crude oil prices in the third quarter to stabilize the oil market, and the edge that the Indian and Chinese markets had with access to Russian oil was no longer there; this added to the production expenses and lifted the prices even more.

The demands from the fiber and fabric industry also kept their pace. So, the Nylon 6 price trend rose during the third quarter; however, as the inventories started building up and the crude oil prices also started to normalize, the Nylon 6 prices started coming down as the fourth quarter began, but this downfall was temporary since the Asian markets picked up again as the demands rose. In the Chinese Nylon 6 market, the monthly average spot prices went from around 1861 USD/MT in July’23 to about 2030 USD/MT in December of 2023, registering an overall incline of about 9%.

Europe

Contrary to the Asian markets, the European Nylon 6 market faced depreciation in the early months of the said period. The European markets were faced with a supply glut and bearish demands. Both these factors kept holding the price trend back despite a substantial surge in crude oil prices. It was only when the inventories backtracked and the stocks became limited the suppliers were able to raise the prices in the latter half of Q4, otherwise, a very subdued market performance was witnessed.

North America

The North American market trend was also very reflective of the European market behavior during the said period. Owing to the pressurized inventories the suppliers had to keep the prices low in order to promote the product movement. As time progressed, the gap between the supply and demand outlooks started reducing steadily, and the price curve plateaued by the end of the fourth quarter. Overall, dull market sentiments were witnessed.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, the Nylon 6 price trends are likely to continue to fluctuate going forward as well. For the coming quarter, the market projections look positive.

Nylon 6 Price Trend for the First Half of 2023

Asia

H1 2023 witnessed a mixed price pattern for Nylon 6 in the Asian market. In the Chinese domestic market, the spot prices of nylon 6 averaged around 2002 USD/MT in January and went to about 1890 USD/MT in June’23, thereby registering an overall decline of 5%. The feedstock materials caprolactam and benzene saw price hikes, leading to a momentary incline in the production costs of Nylon 6. However, the bearish downstream demand kept the overall market muted.

Europe

The European Nylon 6 market witnessed an oscillating price pattern in the first half of 2023. The prices inclined slightly given the regional imbalances; however, overall, the price trend kept on a lowered trajectory. With no fresh demands from the downstream sectors, the manufacturers were forced to lower their quotations in hopes of positive product movement. The arrival of cheap imports from China further destabilized the supply-demand dynamics of the market.

North America

The North American nylon-6 market replicated the global trend. Owing to feeble demand, the prices were kept on the lower side of the scale. However, certain peaks were observed, given the momentary rise in feedstock prices. However, any such inclines were short-lived, and overall, the pricing fundamentals kept negative.

Analyst Insight

According to the Procurement Resource, Nylon-6 prices will continue this teetering trend in the upcoming months. The demand projections do not look promising, and the fluctuating feedstock prices will continue to impact the prices.

PA6 (Nylon 6) Price Trend for the Second Half of 2022

Asia

The third quarter showcased mixed trend for the prices of Nylon 6 polymer. The price of caprolactam dipped resulting in a dip in the prices of Nylon 6 polymer. However, the demand from the textile and furniture industry helped in maintaining the price range of the commodity. In addition to that, the demand from cord-fabric, monofilament and other non-textile industries derived the price of this polymer.

The trend was however not followed by the fourth quarter. The prices fell steeply in the fourth quarter averaging around 1908 USD/MT (Spot FD China) towards the end of the said period due to weak demand and rising inventories. High tariffs and fluctuations in polymer prices further decreased the pricing of the commodity.

Europe

The price of Nylon 6 polymer dipped in the third quarter due to the fall in the price of raw materials required for its production. In addition to that, the market for nylon chips, and nylon filaments, also saw a dip in their prices. Also, the decrease in the price of caprolactam further fueled the dip in the price trend. The textile industry also did not favour the price growth of the polymer as the industrial demand remained low throughout the quarter.

The fourth quarter also followed a similar trend and the price of nylon-6 continued to dip. The contraction in demand from the apparel industry was due to a decline in the usage of the polymer in the manufacturing process. The unstable feedstock market and rising inflation further resulted in the decline in the price of this polymer.

North America

The low supply of raw materials for the production of Nylon-6 polymer resulted in the decline in the prices of this polymer in the North American market. However, the industries tend to maintain the equilibrium by increasing the demand for this fibre throughout the third quarter.

The textile industry remains the major driver of the market for the third quarter. However, due to the strong supply and uncertain market conditions, the prices continued to fall. In the fourth quarter also, the prices followed a similar trend. High inventory and the low cost of raw materials were the major cause of the decline in the prices of the commodity.

Analyst Insight

The prices of nylon- 6  are likely to remain volatile during the coming month given the uncertainty of the market both in terms of raw materials and polymer along with the strong supply from the manufacturers.

For the Second Quarter of 2022

Asia

Owing to the rising crude oil prices, the prices of feedstock benzene skyrocketed globally, thereby driving the prices of caprolactam (CPL) further. In the Chinese domestic market, the cost of caprolactam averaged 14800 RMB/MT during the said quarter. Since feedstock caprolactam remained firm throughout the domestic market, it supported the higher prices of PA6.

 However, towards the end of June, the prices of PA6 began to dip due to the great production and off-season muted demand from the downstream industries. PA6 prices averaged 16,500 RMB/MT in the domestic market.

Europe

The extreme instability and volatility impacted the prices of petrochemicals, thereby affecting all nylon-based products. The high costs of benzene and caprolactam caused the PA6 prices to inflate in the European market. Per ton price of benzene averaged 1427 USD FOB Hamburg in the said quarter.

Since the production of PA6 is a highly energy-intensive process, the manufacturers passed the rising costs of inputs to the downstream sectors. The strong demand from the fibre, automotive and semiconductor sectors sustained the high price trend of PA6.

North America

In line with the European market, the prices of PA6 in the US domestic arena remained strong throughout the quarter. The tightened supply, low inventories and increasing demand from the downstream sector sustained the higher prices across the US market.

For the First Quarter of 2022

PA 6 prices were around 15933.33 RMB/MT in China in March 2022. In February, BASF announced that it will increase the price of carpolactum and PA 6 by 0.10 USD/lb, effective March 1.

In 2020, Asia-Pacific had the highest share of the polyamide-6 market, accounting for 40.6%. Due to the rapidly growing population, rise in the automotive industry, favourable government policies, growing electrical and electronics industries, and growing textile production in developing economies such as China, Japan, South Korea, and India in this region, Asia-Pacific is dominating the market.

Because of the rising usage of polyamide-6 in automobiles, the automotive industry has the largest market share of all end-users in the worldwide polyamide-6 market. Growing vehicle production and sales, manufacturing sector advancements, low-cost labour availability, and raw material availability, notably in India and China, are likely to raise polyamide-6 demand in the region.

Procurement Resource provides latest prices of PA6 (Nylon 6). Each price database is tied to a user-friendly graphing tool dating back to 2014, which provides a range of functionalities: configuration of price series over user defined time period; comparison of product movements across countries; customisation of price currencies and unit; extraction of price data as excel files to be used offline.