Polycaprolactam Price Trend and Forecast 2026-2027

Germany paid the most for polycaprolactam in Q2 2026: USD 2,730/MT, up 3.2% from USD 2,645 in Q1.

Polycaprolactam, more widely known as Nylon 6, is polymerised from a single monomer, caprolactam, into a versatile engineering and textile plastic. Textile-filament grade serves apparel and industrial fabric applications, while engineering chip grade feeds injection moulding for automotive and consumer goods.

Glass-filled variants, reinforced for higher stiffness and heat resistance, command a premium over unfilled chip and dominate automotive under-hood and structural component applications where straight caprolactam-derived resin alone would not hold up.

China and India together host a large and growing share of global caprolactam and downstream Nylon 6 capacity, giving both a cost advantage over the more mature, higher-cost Western production base in the United States and Germany.

Nylon 6 carpet fibre recycling, particularly from end-of-life carpet tile, has grown into a meaningful closed-loop supply source in some markets, giving buyers a recycled-content option that competes with virgin caprolactam-derived resin in less demanding applications.

China and India's integrated caprolactam-to-Nylon-6 investment has structurally shifted global cost leadership in this market in much the same way it has for the broader polyamide family, a pattern worth understanding alongside that related resin.

Comparing the four markets side by side, Germany sat about 39% above China as Q2 closed. That kind of gap is common where import exposure and domestic production costs diverge as sharply as they do here.

Polycaprolactam Price Forecast for 2026

Expect steady gains across all four markets through H2 2026 as textile and automotive manufacturing demand continues its gradual recovery. China should retain its cost advantage given its scale of integrated caprolactam and Nylon 6 production capacity. Germany's premium should persist given its concentrated automotive engineering plastics manufacturing base. Automotive and textile demand recovery in India specifically is worth watching, given the country's rapidly growing domestic capacity and its increasing role in setting the pace for Asian Nylon 6 pricing.

On balance, the first half of 2026 brought a 3.6% increase average move across the 4 markets covered here, a trend that should persist through year end absent a material change in the underlying drivers.

For the Quarter Ending June 2026

Polycaprolactam Prices Q2 2026:

• China: USD 1,960/MT
• India: USD 2,115/MT
• United States: USD 2,595/MT
• Germany: USD 2,730/MT

Polycaprolactam Prices in China

In Q2 2026, China priced at USD 1,960/MT, up 4.0% from USD 1,885/MT the previous quarter, placing it the most affordable across the 4 regions covered in this report.

Why did the price of Polycaprolactam change in Q2 2026 in China?

Ample integrated production capacity met firming feedstock costs, supporting a steady increase, leaving China running roughly 16.6% 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.

Polycaprolactam Prices in India

India reached USD 2,115/MT in Q2 2026, growing textile-filament demand kept Indian pricing rising in step with the broader Asian trend, putting it the 3rd most expensive of the 4 markets tracked this quarter.

Why did the price of Polycaprolactam change in Q2 2026 in India?

Growing textile-filament demand kept Indian pricing rising in step with the broader Asian trend, with India now sitting about 10.0% below the 4-region average this quarter.

India has averaged 2.0% a quarter over the six quarters this report tracks; this move came in faster than that longer-run pace.

Polycaprolactam Prices in United States

United States rose 3.4% to USD 2,595/MT in Q2 2026, firm automotive component demand kept US pricing climbing, making it the 2nd most expensive of the 4 markets tracked here this quarter.

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

Firm automotive component demand kept US pricing climbing, which puts United States roughly 10.4% above the average across the 4 regions this report tracks.

Set against a 1.7% average quarterly pace over the six quarters this report tracks, United States's move this quarter landed faster than that trend.

Polycaprolactam Prices in Germany

USD 2,730/MT. That is where Germany landed in Q2 2026, up 3.2% from USD 2,645/MT in Q1 2026, ranking it the priciest among the 4 markets this report follows.

Why did the price of Polycaprolactam change in Q2 2026 in Germany?

Strong automotive engineering plastics demand from the region's established manufacturing base kept Germany at the top of this group, working out to Germany trading about 16.2% above this quarter's 4-region average.

Measured against Germany's own average pace of 1.7% a quarter across the six quarters this report tracks, this move came in faster than that pace.

For the Quarter Ending March 2026

Polycaprolactam Prices Q1 2026:

• China: USD 1,885/MT
• India: USD 2,035/MT
• United States: USD 2,510/MT
• Germany: USD 2,645/MT

Polycaprolactam Prices in China

In Q1 2026, China priced at USD 1,885/MT, up 1.4% from USD 1,858/MT the previous quarter, placing it the most affordable across the 4 regions covered in this report.

Why did the price of Polycaprolactam 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 16.9% 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.

Polycaprolactam Prices in India

India reached USD 2,035/MT in Q1 2026, early-year textile sector demand supported a firm start to 2026, putting it the 3rd most expensive of the 4 markets tracked this quarter.

Why did the price of Polycaprolactam change in Q1 2026 in India?

Early-year textile sector demand supported a firm start to 2026, with India now sitting about 10.3% below the 4-region average this quarter.

India has averaged 2.0% a quarter over the six quarters this report tracks; this move came in slower than that longer-run pace.

Polycaprolactam Prices in United States

United States rose 1.3% to USD 2,510/MT in Q1 2026, automotive sector restocking supported a modest early-year gain, making it the 2nd most expensive of the 4 markets tracked here this quarter.

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

Automotive sector restocking supported a modest early-year gain, which puts United States roughly 10.6% above the average across the 4 regions this report tracks.

Set against a 1.7% average quarterly pace over the six quarters this report tracks, United States's move this quarter landed slower than that trend.

Polycaprolactam Prices in Germany

USD 2,645/MT. That is where Germany landed in Q1 2026, up 1.3% from USD 2,611/MT in Q4 2025, ranking it the priciest among the 4 markets this report follows.

Why did the price of Polycaprolactam change in Q1 2026 in Germany?

Consistent demand from the region's established engineering plastics industry carried prices higher, working out to Germany trading about 16.6% above this quarter's 4-region average.

Measured against Germany's own average pace of 1.7% a quarter across the six quarters this report tracks, this move came in slower than that pace.

Quarterly Polycaprolactam Price Trends

The global average climbed steadily across the window, from USD 2,148/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 2,350 by Q2 2026, a gain of 9.4% over six quarters.

What was Polycaprolactam Price in 2025?

2025 was a steadily firming year for polycaprolactam. Starting near USD 2,148/MT in Q1, the global average finished the year at USD 2,238, a 4.2% increase across the four quarters.

Polycaprolactam Prices in China in 2025

China prices moved from about USD 1,780/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 1,858 by Q4, up roughly 4.4%, leaving China in 4 place among the 4 tracked markets heading into the new year.

Polycaprolactam Prices in India in 2025

India prices moved from about USD 1,920/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 2,006 by Q4, up roughly 4.5%. That left India ranked 3 of 4 tracked markets heading into 2026.

Polycaprolactam Prices in United States in 2025

United States prices moved from about USD 2,380/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 2,477 by Q4, up roughly 4.1%, placing United States 2 of 4 tracked markets as 2025 closed out.

Polycaprolactam Prices in Germany in 2025

Germany prices moved from about USD 2,510/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 2,611 by Q4, up roughly 4.0%. Germany closed the year ranked 1 of the 4 markets this report tracks.

How We Can Help

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

We monitor polycaprolactam markets across every region with meaningful production or consumption, connecting the price you see to the caprolactam costs and demand conditions behind it. The result is a regularly updated view built from the ground up rather than a single static figure.

Our forecasts combine production capacity data with feedstock cost trends and regional demand signals, giving sourcing teams a defensible basis for budgeting and supplier negotiations beyond a single point estimate.

Get in touch with our analysts if you need a more detailed regional view, historical pricing beyond the six quarters shown here, or a sourcing analysis built specifically around your procurement footprint.

We track textile-filament and engineering-chip grade pricing separately, since automotive demand for the latter and apparel demand for the former can move in different directions within the same quarter.