On September 2, the 16th China International Chemical Fiber Conference took place in Wujiang, Jiangsu Province. Over 450 industry leaders, experts, scholars, and business representatives from more than 30 countries and regions—including China, the United States, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and the UK—gathered to discuss the future of the global chemical fiber industry and explore opportunities for collaborative growth. Notable attendees included Xu Kunyuan, Vice Chairman of the China National Textile and Apparel Council; He Yanli, Deputy Director of the Industrial Coordination Department at the National Development and Reform Commission; and Wang Wei, Deputy Director of the Consumer Goods Division at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
The conference focused on the development of the global chemical fiber industry in the post-financial crisis era and the 12th Five-Year Plan for China's chemical fiber sector. Discussions centered on the evolving characteristics of the industry after the economic downturn, addressing key challenges and opportunities in the field. New research findings were also shared, offering insights into the direction of the industry’s future.
In his opening speech, Xu Kunyuan highlighted that the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis triggered a global financial crisis, which severely impacted the world economy and left the textile industry in a difficult position. As the global economy slowly recovers, it remains in a period of uncertainty, often referred to as the "post-crisis era." He emphasized that the question of how to develop the textile industry globally, especially the chemical fiber sector, is a crucial topic for the industry.
Xu noted that in 2009, China's economy showed a "V-shaped" recovery, leading the global rebound from the crisis. In the first half of this year, China's GDP grew by 11.1%, maintaining a strong development trend. Despite a 9.6% drop in textile exports due to the crisis, domestic demand helped the industry maintain a 7.9% increase in total output value compared to the previous year. Major products and industrial returns saw a rapid recovery.
This year marks the final year of the 11th Five-Year Plan for China's textile industry and a critical time for developing the 12th Five-Year Plan. Over the next 5 to 10 years, the textile industry will remain a traditional pillar and an essential livelihood industry in China’s economy, with clear international competitive advantages. Chemical fiber, as the main raw material, accounted for over 70% of China’s textile materials in 2009, and globally, chemical fibers made up 62.5% of all textile fibers.
Looking ahead, Xu stressed that the global industry would significantly boost innovation investments to mitigate the impact of the financial crisis. The upcoming technological revolution, driven by new energy, materials, information, and biotechnology, will lead society toward a greener, smarter, and more sustainable future. Economic globalization continues to advance, and international cooperation will deepen, accelerating industrial and market integration.
Under these conditions, Chinese chemical fiber companies must reorient their strategies, enhance independent innovation, and focus on high-tech, functional, and green fibers. They should also promote energy-saving and emission-reduction technologies, modernize equipment, phase out outdated production capacities, and strengthen collaboration with downstream industries to build a competitive supply chain and improve market competitiveness.
Meanwhile, the chemical raw material market remained active, with prices for xylene, propane, ethylene glycol, phenol, acetone, aniline, methanol, butanone, maleic anhydride, acrylic acid, ethyl acetate, caprolactam, DOP, acetic acid, styrene, cyclohexanone, sulfur, acrylic acid, bisphenol A, formaldehyde, gasoline, C5, acrylonitrile, maleic anhydride, dimethyl ether, fertilizer, C9 petroleum resin, oxygen, sodium hydroxide, and others showing fluctuations. Upstream raw materials like styrene faced supply constraints, leading to higher prices for high-end tires. Enhanced oil recovery techniques have revived interest in ultra-heavy oil, while refined oil prices may rise by early April. Experts also warned that energy-saving lamps are a major source of mercury, and the lack of demand for plasticizers has led to price declines in certain raw materials.
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