Intertextile Shanghai 2025: Spandex trend

From March 11 to 13, 2025, the Yarn Expo China International Textile Yarn (Spring/Summer) Exhibition is held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), in collaboration with the Intertextile China International Fabric and Accessories (Spring/Summer) Expo, the CHIC China International Clothing and Accessories Expo (Spring), the Intertextile China International Home Textile and Accessories (Spring/Summer) Expo, and the PH Value International Knitting (Spring/Summer) Expo. CCFGroup analyst focused on visiting Pavilion 8.2, which featured yarns as well as some apparel exhibitions.

From the perspective of synthetic fibers such as polyester, nylon and spandex, it is noteworthy that certain major manufacturers in the polyester sector exhibit remarkable characteristics of integrated industrial chains, showcasing a process of integration that significantly outpaces that of nylon and spandex. In terms of differentiated products, the Tongkun China Fiber Fashion Trend 2025/2026 launch was held in the Silk Road Hall of Pavilion 4.2 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). This event showcased a fiber feast that combined visuals, environmental considerations, technology, art and fashion. Most of the products presented were related to polyester, nylon and regenerated cellulose fibers, with the only spandex product featured being RPET-based chemically recycled spandex. From the demand perspective of the spandex industry, this year's announced fashion trend fabrics show a relatively high addition of spandex, often near tens of percentage points.

Observations from participating spandex suppliers indicate a clear trend towards differentiation in spandex products, focusing on finer denier, regeneration, dyeability and bio-based options. Xinxiang Chemical Fiber exhibited from three aspects of green, science and technology and circulation, focusing on promoting Juncao fiber, which not only solves the new way of cellulose fiber, but also has antibacterial function; the second one focuses on promoting Shousaier fiber, which is the world's first regenerated cellulose filament technology by ionic liquid method, replacing the traditional process with a new generation of green solvent, and the production process is nearly zero emission. TheShousaier fiber has silky smooth texture and an environment-friendly kernel; that third fiber is ByluRecel fiber, which is beneficial to recycling waste textiles and cotton textiles; the waste textile are recycled through a solvent in a normal temperature environment to produce an environment-friendly fiber, so that carbon emission is greatly reduced, and the fiber has the qualities of moisture absorption, ventilation, softness of cotton, smoothness of silk and the like; the fiber is 100% degradable in a natural environment. In addition, the spandex mainly shows the superfine denier spandex, regenerated spandex and dyeable spandex, etc., and also shows the fabrics and garments jointly developed with downstream sectors.

Duzhong Spandex also has a booth, showing bio-based degradable fiber, GRS pre-consumption recycled spandex, RCS post-consumption recycled spandex, low-temperature thermal bonding spandex, dyeable spandex and deodorant spandex, etc. In addition, with the strong support of Lianyungang Industrial Investment Group Co., Ltd., Duzhong Spandex is planning to build a green, low-carbon and high-end material demonstration park, with an annual output of 60,000 tons of bio-based spandex, an annual output of 60,000 tons of post-consumer recycled spandex and an annual output of 100,000 tons of petrochemical-based spandex. The new project will fully utilize nuclear steam and green electricity as primary energy sources within the industrial park. The proportion of green energy usage is expected to exceed 90%. Additionally, the project plans to implement a centralized wastewater treatment system within the park, aiming to create a green energy product industrial chain and establish a cost advantage in production operations.

Many spandex industry practitioners visited the exhibition. For the spandex market in 2025, they are mostly cautiously optimistic. At present, the spandex market is at the bottom of history. Under the pressure of loss, the enterprise strongly intend to hold firm price. However, with complex macro international situation this year, the problem of insufficient new orders in fabric mills in the short term is still outstanding, the clarity of the follow-up orders is worthy of continuous attention. In terms of domestic circulation of textiles and apparels, the weather is cold after the Spring Festival holiday, resulting in slow delivery of spring and summer apparels. Meanwhile, at the 2025 China International Textile Yarn (Spring/Summer) Exhibition, the popularity of some garment factory booths is a little less popular than that of yarn booths.