In January 2026, the domestic viscose staple fiber market exhibited a weak consolidation trend, with prices experiencing a narrow decline. The market for the primary raw material, dissolving pulp, remained largely stagnant. While finished product inventories in the industry were not high, terminal demand was weak. Viscose staple fiber manufacturers rolled out a new round of price reductions, leading to a decrease in high-priced supplies within the market. A strong wait-and-see sentiment prevailed, and prices are expected to remain low in the short term.

Market Price Center Declines
According to monitoring by the Business Society Commodity Market Analysis System, in January 2026, viscose staple fiber producers successively announced new prices, all showing slight reductions. As of January 29, 2026, the average market price for viscose staple fiber was 12,800 RMB/ton, a decrease of 100 RMB/ton from the previous month, representing a monthly decline of 0.78%. The overall market transaction pace was moderate.

Limited Support from the Cost Side
On the cost front, the market price for the primary raw material, dissolving pulp, showed little fluctuation in January 2026, overall maintaining a weak and stagnant state, providing limited support for viscose staple fiber. Specifically, the price of domestic dissolving pulp remained around 6,700 RMB/ton, while the price of imported hardwood pulp was approximately 800 USD/ton, and softwood pulp was around 870 USD/ton. In the auxiliary materials market, prices for liquid caustic soda and sulfuric acid were largely stable with minor movements, failing to form effective cost support. Overall, the cost side performance was flat.

Downstream Demand Remains Weak
The weak performance of the downstream rayon yarn market has become a key factor constraining demand for viscose staple fiber. Last week, the operating rates of rayon yarn plants showed no significant change. However, the market is in its traditional off-season, resulting in unsatisfactory transaction volumes. Price-wise, in Shandong province, the price for ring-spun R30S was around 17,200 RMB/ton, and ring-spun R40S was approximately 18,300 RMB/ton, showing a slight downward trend. Concurrently, physical inventories at rayon yarn factories continued to rise, and new orders from terminal fabric mills were weak, leading to reduced purchasing enthusiasm for viscose staple fiber from downstream sectors and insufficient demand-side support.

Market Outlook
From the perspective of supply and demand, in the short term, the operating rates of viscose staple fiber production facilities are expected to remain stable. Some manufacturers have relatively low inventory levels, providing relatively stronger support from the supply side. However, terminal market demand is unlikely to see substantial improvement. Downstream sectors will continue to purchase based on immediate needs, limiting the driving force from the demand side. Regarding raw materials, the markets for primary materials like dissolving pulp and sulfuric acid are expected to remain largely stable, while the liquid caustic soda market may experience a narrow decline. Cost-side support is expected to remain insufficient.

Summary
Considering factors such as cost, supply, and demand, although the current physical inventory at viscose staple fiber plants is generally not high, it shows an upward trend. Coupled with weak downstream demand and limited cost support, the overall market shipment pace is weak and steady. Business Society analysis predicts that viscose staple fiber market prices will continue to operate weakly at low levels in the short term.