PET resin: Feedstocks
Why PET's cost is mostly paraxylene and glycol
Why PET's cost is mostly paraxylene and glycol What this tab covers What it is made from and what it feeds: the raw materials and energy per tonne with their share of cost (linked to the commodity table), who is low-cost and why, and the chemicals made from it.Each tonne of PET needs about 0.86 t PTA and 0.335 t MEG, with water lost in condensation. PTA follows paraxylene and crude oil; MEG follows ethylene (ethane or naphtha) or coal in China. Feedstock is 85-90% of cash cost, so large integrated PX-PTA-PET sites in China and Reliance in India are lowest cost, while non-integrated producers depend on processing margins.
Inputs per tonne
| Input | Quantity per tonne | Role | Share of cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil Crude oil | about 0.86 t PTA per t PET; about 0.66 t PX per t PTA (PTA tile) | acid monomer | about 65-70% of cash cost (indicative) | PTA tile; indicative |
| Gas Natural gas | about 0.335 t MEG per t PET (indicative) | glycol monomer | about 20-22% of cash cost (indicative) | MEG tile; indicative |
| Tc Thermal coal | about 2.5-3 t coal per t MEG (MEG tile) | part of Chinese MEG supply | within MEG | MEG tile |
| Sb Antimony | about 200-300 ppm antimony in resin (indicative) | polycondensation catalyst; titanium catalysts are an alternative | under 1% (indicative) | indicative |
| Isophthalic acid comonomer | about 15-25 kg per t bottle resin (indicative) | controls crystallisation for clear bottles | about 2-3% (indicative) | indicative |
| Energy (heat and power) | about 0.3 MWh power and 1-2 GJ heat per t (indicative) | polycondensation, SSP, drying | about 4-6% (indicative) | indicative |
Who is low-cost, and why
Large Chinese integrated plants offered PTA at PX plus $45-55/t in Jan 2026 versus at least $100/t needed elsewhere (PTA tile, S&P Global), and the same advantage carries into PET. With PTA at $649/t FOB China (21 Jan 2026) and MEG near $510/t CFR China (Oct 2025), raw materials cost about $730/t of PET, so a resin price near $800/t leaves a thin processing margin (derived, indicative).
Raw materials on the commodity table
Oil Crude oilWhat it is made into
| Product | Note |
|---|---|
| PSF Polyester fibre | recycled PET bottle flake is the main feed for recycled polyester staple fibre (rPSF), e.g. Ganesha Ecosphere |