China's Polyester Yarn Exports, January–September 2026: Hubei Confirmed as the Absolute Core Origin of Spun Polyester Yarn

Official China Customs data shows 147,923 tonnes of polyester yarn left China in the first nine months of 2026 — with Hubei overtaking all other provinces, and Bangladesh absorbing nearly a third of the total volume.

Based on official export data downloaded from the China Customs statistics platform  |  Coverage: Jan–Sep 2026  |  Product: polyester yarn

China is the world's largest producer and exporter of polyester yarn, and the first nine months of 2026 offer a clear picture of where that volume is made and where it goes. According to official China Customs data, total polyester yarn exports from January to September 2026 reached 147,922,614 kg — roughly 147,900 tonnes, averaging about 16,400 tonnes per month.

147.9k t
Total exports
Jan–Sep 2026
18,319 t
September exports —
the highest month
28.9%
Hubei's share of
national exports
29.3%
Share going to
Bangladesh

01Monthly trend: a strong finish to Q3

Exports held a steady rhythm through most of the year, moving in a band of roughly 14,500–17,400 tonnes per month. After the year's low in July (14,557 tonnes), volumes rebounded sharply: August recovered to 16,667 tonnes, and September closed the period at 18,319 tonnes — the strongest month of 2026 so far and 25.8% above the July low. The late-quarter acceleration suggests buyers in South and Southeast Asia were restocking ahead of their peak garment production seasons.

China Polyester Yarn Exports by Month, Jan–Sep 2026
Unit: tonnes

Source: China Customs export statistics. Feb and Jul dips reflect the Spring Festival holiday and summer maintenance/off-season effects respectively.

02Provincial landscape: Hubei takes the top spot

Hubei exported 42,689 tonnes in the first nine months — 28.9% of the national total — edging out Zhejiang (36,516 tonnes, 24.7%) for first place. Jiangxi (20,720 t), Jiangsu (12,692 t) and Shandong (8,697 t) round out the top five, which together account for 82% of all exports. The remaining volume is spread thinly: more than 20 provinces and municipalities shipped fewer than 5,000 tonnes each.

Top 10 Provinces by Polyester Yarn Exports, Jan–Sep 2026
Unit: tonnes

Source: China Customs export statistics. Hubei and Zhejiang together supplied more than half (53.6%) of China's polyester yarn exports.

03Two provinces, two products

The headline ranking understates how specialized China's polyester yarn map really is. The two leading provinces are not direct competitors — they anchor different product families:

Zhejiang's exports are dominated by DTY (draw texturing yarn) — the POY-based textured filament that feeds the vast knitting and weaving mills of the Yangtze River Delta. Hubei's exports, by contrast, are dominated by spun polyester yarn. For spun polyester yarn specifically, Hubei is the absolute core production base in China: no other province comes close in export volume.

This division of labor matters for international buyers. Sourcing DTY and sourcing spun polyester yarn are effectively two different supply chains with different geographic centers. For spun polyester yarn — the ring-spun workhorse used widely in sewing thread, bed linen, poplin and workwear fabrics — the practical answer to "where is it made in China?" is, overwhelmingly, Hubei. Buyers looking at filament DTY, meanwhile, will find Zhejiang the natural first stop.

04Where the yarn goes: Bangladesh leads a South Asia–MENA axis

On the demand side, Bangladesh was the single largest destination, taking 43,334 tonnes — 29.3% of total exports and more than three times the volume of the No.2 market, Vietnam (12,726 t). Pakistan (12,299 t) and Egypt (11,588 t) follow, with Indonesia (9,396 t), Cambodia (7,872 t) and Brazil (7,244 t) completing the top seven. The pattern is unmistakable: China's polyester yarn flows primarily to the garment-manufacturing hubs of South and Southeast Asia and the textile centers of the Middle East and North Africa, where imported yarn is converted into finished apparel and home textiles for re-export to Western markets.

Top 10 Destination Countries/Regions, Jan–Sep 2026
Unit: tonnes

Source: China Customs export statistics. The top 7 destinations absorbed 70.6% of total export volume.

05Key takeaways

  • Volume is resilient. ~147,900 tonnes in nine months, closing at a 2026-high of 18,319 tonnes in September — momentum is entering Q4 on a strong footing.
  • Hubei is the No.1 exporting province (28.9% share) and, more importantly, the absolute core origin of China's spun polyester yarn exports; Zhejiang leads in DTY.
  • Concentration cuts both ways. Five provinces ship 82% of volume, and one country — Bangladesh — buys 29.3%. Buyers and suppliers alike should read this as both an efficiency story and a concentration risk.
  • Demand is anchored in garment-exporting economies. South Asia, Southeast Asia and MENA account for the bulk of offtake, tied to global apparel supply chains.
Data source: official export statistics downloaded from the China Customs data platform (January–September 2026). Figures in tonnes are converted from kilograms as reported.