Market Data & Pricing
New after-effect from COVID – logistics moves from cost of doing business to colossal headache
As if COVID lockdowns and their implications for supply and demand were not challenging enough, every stage of the nonwovens supply chain from resin through end-customer is wrestling with a global ocean shipping crisis that is forcing many to make changes in how they do business – often at significant cost in terms of additional …
The Fiber Year – Global development of spun and filament yarns
Both filament and spun yarn production marked new all-time highs achieving a joint level of 96 million tonnes in 2019. The average annual growth rate of yarn production in the century accounted for 4%, driven by faster filament expansion of 6% annually while spun yarns advanced 2%. Rapid filament growth led to parity in 2013, …
The Fiber Year 2020 – Structural changes in staple fibers
Global supply of staple fibers and filament yarns recorded an average annual growth rate of 3% during the previous four decades. The dominant share of staple fibers, accounting for more than 80% in the 1980s, gradually scaled down. At present, staple fiber volumes still are one step ahead with a relative majority of 52% thanks …
COVID, trade disputes & the global cotton market
COVID-19 is the macro event of our lifetimes, affecting the life and business of virtually everyone on the planet. For the global economy, the speed and depth of the pandemic’s effects represented an unprecedented shock. Global impact In their report released near the end of January, the International Monetary Fund was predicting 2020 would be …
The Fiber Year 2020 – Rising investments in manmade fiber feedstocks
World fiber supply was balanced between natural and manmade fibers a quarter of a century ago but the latter considerably gained momentum afterwards, holding a current market share of more than 70% in recent years. Consequentially, corresponding feedstocks have been expanded likewise. Massive investments in Chinese industry will increasingly impact today’s major supplying nations. Nylon …