Raw Material Prices Rise, Geotextile Quotes Follow Suit Amid Industry Cost Pressure

Release time:

2026-08-28 17:25

Recently, China’s geosynthetic material market has witnessed a new round of cost fluctuations. As core raw materials for geotextiles, polyester (PET) and polypropylene (PP) fiber prices have kept climbing, directly pushing up the ex-factory quotes of national-standard geotextiles and triggering changes in profit distribution across the industrial chain as well as procurement schedules of projects.

The main raw materials of geotextiles are polyester staple fiber and polypropylene fiber, which account for 60%-70% of the total production cost of geotextiles and are highly linked to international crude oil prices and the operation status of petrochemical plants. Driven by multiple factors including fluctuating and rising crude oil prices, maintenance of some petrochemical facilities and tight fiber supply, the prices of PET and PP chips have increased continuously recently, and the quotes of downstream fibers have gone up synchronously, significantly raising raw material procurement costs for geotextile manufacturers.

In terms of market quotations, ordinary short-fiber needle-punched geotextiles and filament geotextiles have seen price hikes to varying degrees. Nevertheless, the upward transmission of costs is not smooth. At present, infrastructure, municipal and water conservancy projects generally adopt price limits in contracts and locked budgets. Many previously awarded projects cannot raise material prices accordingly, so manufacturers have to absorb part of the cost pressure on their own, resulting in squeezed profit margins. To retain orders, some small and medium-sized manufacturers have begun to cut costs by adopting low-grade raw materials and increasing the proportion of recycled materials. A growing number of non-standard low-priced products have emerged in the market with inconsistent tensile strength, aging resistance and permeability indicators, bringing hidden risks to engineering quality control.

The downstream demand shows a differentiated pattern. Rigid demand for high-standard materials such as filament geotextiles remains stable in key national infrastructure projects including expressway, water conservancy and ecological restoration projects. By contrast, purchasers of scattered small municipal projects and local minor works tend to be cautious. Many construction units have suspended stock preparation and adopted just-in-time procurement, leading to generally tepid market transactions.

Industry practitioners analyze that raw material prices will remain highly uncertain in the short run, and geotextile prices may stay volatile at high levels. For project owners and construction companies, it is advisable to make advance budget plans for materials and lock in compliant supplies as early as possible. Meanwhile, product indicators must be strictly checked during bidding and site acceptance, and selection should not be based merely on low prices, so as to prevent engineering hazards such as subgrade settlement, leakage and failed filtration caused by substandard geotextile performance.

In the medium and long term, supported by continuous advancement of infrastructure construction, soil and water conservation and environmental governance, demand for geosynthetic materials will maintain resilience. Leading enterprises with stable raw material supply channels, standardized production and complete testing capabilities will gain more prominent advantages in risk resistance. The industry will also accelerate the phase-out of low-quality and low-cost production capacity and develop toward standardization and high quality. Faced with this round of market fluctuations, Feicheng Tiancheng Engineering Materials Co., Ltd. will stick to quality standards, coordinate supply chain resources, fully guarantee stable supply, and continue to provide maximum support for various engineering projects.

Deeply Cultivating Geotechnical New Materials to Empower High-Quality Infrastructure Development

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Deeply Cultivating Geotechnical New Materials to Empower High-Quality Infrastructure Development

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