Polyethylene Terephthalate Price Trend and Forecast 2026-2027

Europe paid the most for polyethylene terephthalate in Q2 2026: USD 1,262/MT, up 3.6% from USD 1,218 in Q1. Polyethylene terephthalate, PET, is the polymer behind beverage bottles, food packaging film, and polyester fibre, polymerised from purified terephthalic acid and mono-ethylene glycol into bottle grade, fibre grade, and film grade depending on the target molecular weight and intrinsic viscosity.

This report tracks PET as the broad resin category spanning all three grades, complementing the more narrowly scoped bottle-grade and fibre-specific reports this pipeline also covers, and gives buyers sourcing across multiple PET applications a single blended reference point. China hosts the largest global PET capacity by a wide margin, giving it a persistent cost advantage, while Europe's tighter capacity and higher energy costs keep it the priciest of the major producing regions tracked here.

Recycled PET has grown from a niche input into a meaningful share of both bottle-grade and fibre-grade demand as brands commit to recycled-content targets, adding a second, less feedstock-sensitive price signal that increasingly runs alongside virgin resin pricing. Because PTA and MEG are themselves actively traded petrochemical commodities derived from paraxylene and ethylene respectively, PET pricing tracks that upstream value chain closely, with beverage, packaging, and textile demand setting the pace on the consumption side.

Europe ran roughly 28% above China, the least expensive of the group, in Q2 2026. Sourcing teams comparing origins should treat that gap as a starting point, not the full picture, since freight and duty costs still need adding on top.

Polyethylene Terephthalate Price Forecast for 2026

Expect steady gains across all four markets through H2 2026 as beverage bottle and textile demand continues its seasonal build. China should retain its cost advantage given its scale of capacity. Europe's premium should persist given tighter regional capacity and higher energy costs relative to Asian and US producers. Growing recycled-content mandates in Europe and parts of the US represent a structural demand shift worth watching, since they increasingly compete with virgin resin for the same bottle-grade and fibre-grade specifications.

The 4-region average rose 3.8% between the first and second quarters of 2026. We see little reason for that trend to reverse through H2, barring a genuine shift in the factors driving it.

For the Quarter Ending June 2026

Polyethylene Terephthalate Prices Q2 2026:

• China: USD 988/MT
• United States: USD 1,182/MT
• India: USD 1,058/MT
• Europe: USD 1,262/MT

Polyethylene Terephthalate Prices in China

USD 988/MT. That is where China landed in Q2 2026, up 4.2% from USD 948/MT in Q1 2026, placing it the most affordable across the 4 regions covered in this report.

Why did the price of Polyethylene Terephthalate change in Q2 2026 in China?

Ample capacity met firming feedstock costs, supporting a steady increase as beverage season demand built, leaving China running roughly 12.0% below the 4-region average for the quarter.

That is faster than the 2.0% average quarterly move China has posted across the six quarters this report tracks.

Polyethylene Terephthalate Prices in United States

United States's price gained 3.0% to USD 1,182/MT, strong seasonal beverage bottle demand kept US pricing climbing in step with the broader feedstock cost trend, putting it the 2nd most expensive of the 4 markets tracked this quarter.

Why did the price of Polyethylene Terephthalate change in Q2 2026 in United States?

Strong seasonal beverage bottle demand kept US pricing climbing in step with the broader feedstock cost trend, with United States now sitting about 5.3% above the 4-region average this quarter.

United States has averaged 1.7% a quarter over the six quarters this report tracks; this move came in faster than that longer-run pace.

Polyethylene Terephthalate Prices in India

In Q2 2026, India priced at USD 1,058/MT, up 4.5% from USD 1,012/MT the previous quarter, making it the 3rd most expensive of the 4 markets tracked here this quarter.

Why did the price of Polyethylene Terephthalate change in Q2 2026 in India?

Growing domestic packaging and textile demand supported a firm quarter alongside rising feedstock costs, which puts India roughly 5.7% below the average across the 4 regions this report tracks.

Set against a 2.1% average quarterly pace over the six quarters this report tracks, India's move this quarter landed faster than that trend.

Polyethylene Terephthalate Prices in Europe

Europe reached USD 1,262/MT in Q2 2026, tighter regional capacity and higher energy costs kept Europe at the top of this group, ranking it the priciest among the 4 markets this report follows.

Why did the price of Polyethylene Terephthalate change in Q2 2026 in Europe?

Tighter regional capacity and higher energy costs kept Europe at the top of this group, working out to Europe trading about 12.4% above this quarter's 4-region average.

Measured against Europe's own average pace of 1.8% a quarter across the six quarters this report tracks, this move came in faster than that pace.

For the Quarter Ending March 2026

Polyethylene Terephthalate Prices Q1 2026:

• China: USD 948/MT
• United States: USD 1,148/MT
• India: USD 1,012/MT
• Europe: USD 1,218/MT

Polyethylene Terephthalate Prices in China

USD 948/MT. That is where China landed in Q1 2026, up 1.4% from USD 934/MT in Q4 2025, placing it the most affordable across the 4 regions covered in this report.

Why did the price of Polyethylene Terephthalate change in Q1 2026 in China?

Feedstock costs firmed modestly as the year opened, carrying through to a steady early-year increase, leaving China running roughly 12.3% below the 4-region average for the quarter.

That is slower than the 2.0% average quarterly move China has posted across the six quarters this report tracks.

Polyethylene Terephthalate Prices in United States

United States's price gained 1.4% to USD 1,148/MT, early-year restocking from bottling and textile operations supported a firm start to 2026, putting it the 2nd most expensive of the 4 markets tracked this quarter.

Why did the price of Polyethylene Terephthalate change in Q1 2026 in United States?

Early-year restocking from bottling and textile operations supported a firm start to 2026, with United States now sitting about 6.1% above the 4-region average this quarter.

United States has averaged 1.7% a quarter over the six quarters this report tracks; this move came in slower than that longer-run pace.

Polyethylene Terephthalate Prices in India

In Q1 2026, India priced at USD 1,012/MT, up 1.5% from USD 997/MT the previous quarter, making it the 3rd most expensive of the 4 markets tracked here this quarter.

Why did the price of Polyethylene Terephthalate change in Q1 2026 in India?

Growing packaging and textile sector demand carried prices higher as the new year began, which puts India roughly 6.4% below the average across the 4 regions this report tracks.

Set against a 2.1% average quarterly pace over the six quarters this report tracks, India's move this quarter landed slower than that trend.

Polyethylene Terephthalate Prices in Europe

Europe reached USD 1,218/MT in Q1 2026, energy costs firmed alongside broader European input cost trends, ranking it the priciest among the 4 markets this report follows.

Why did the price of Polyethylene Terephthalate change in Q1 2026 in Europe?

Energy costs firmed alongside broader European input cost trends, supporting a steady early-year gain, working out to Europe trading about 12.6% above this quarter's 4-region average.

Measured against Europe's own average pace of 1.8% a quarter across the six quarters this report tracks, this move came in slower than that pace.

Quarterly Polyethylene Terephthalate Price Trends

The global average climbed steadily across the window, from USD 1,022/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 1,122 by Q2 2026, a gain of 9.8% over six quarters.

What was Polyethylene Terephthalate Price in 2025?

2025 was a steadily firming year for polyethylene terephthalate. Starting near USD 1,022/MT in Q1, the global average finished the year at USD 1,066, a 4.3% increase across the four quarters.

Polyethylene Terephthalate Prices in China in 2025

China prices moved from about USD 895/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 934 by Q4, up roughly 4.4%, leaving China in 4 place among the 4 tracked markets heading into the new year.

Polyethylene Terephthalate Prices in United States in 2025

United States prices moved from about USD 1,085/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 1,132 by Q4, up roughly 4.3%. That left United States ranked 2 of 4 tracked markets heading into 2026.

Polyethylene Terephthalate Prices in India in 2025

India prices moved from about USD 955/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 997 by Q4, up roughly 4.4%, placing India 3 of 4 tracked markets as 2025 closed out.

Polyethylene Terephthalate Prices in Europe in 2025

Europe prices moved from about USD 1,155/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 1,202 by Q4, up roughly 4.1%. Europe closed the year ranked 1 of the 4 markets this report tracks.

How We Can Help

Expert Market Research: Your Source for Real-Time Polyethylene Terephthalate Price Intelligence

Our analysts track polyethylene terephthalate pricing across every major producing and consuming region, working back from the headline number to the purified terephthalic acid (PTA) and mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) costs and demand shifts actually driving it. That view gets refreshed regularly as new cost, policy, and demand data comes in.

Production capacity, feedstock cost trends, and regional demand signals all feed into our forecasts, which are built to support real procurement decisions like budgeting and supplier negotiation rather than serve as a single static reference point.

Our analysts can also provide a more granular regional breakdown, extended historical data beyond this report's six-quarter window, or a custom sourcing analysis built for your specific footprint.

We track bottle, fibre, and film grade PET pricing as related but distinct threads within this broader category, since beverage, textile, and packaging film demand can each move independently within the same quarter.