After the spring festival, most spandex enterprises in the Chinese mainland have kept their run rate steady. Among the 23 spandex plants in the Chinese Mainland, 16 plants have partially shut down or reduced production, while a small amount of enterprises have decreased their operating rate after the festival.

Affected by the bullish support of the eased trade war and considerable orders from weaving plants in the fourth quarter, spandex inventory was continuously reduced. Before the spring festival, the inventory of spandex plants once fell back to below 40 days. Nevertheless, spandex industry inventory rapidly ticked up as downstream demand vanished during the spring festival as well as the extended holiday. Spandex industry inventory has increased to 48 days. It may take time for downstream weaving plants to recover. A small number of spandex downstream weaving plants are estimated to restart after the Lantern Festival.

The number of spandex units shutting down and reducing production is far lower than the number of downstream weaving plants. The market trading is in a vacuum phase. Industry inventory is expected to significantly rise. The spandex industry is estimated to be supported by the cost side after the festival. Spandex plants are mainly sell cargoes and curtailing their inventory which has sharply increased.