Imports & ExportsStart exporting

Textiles & apparel

Export polyester and synthetic yarn

Polyester filament and spun yarns from Surat, Silvassa and Bhilwara, sold to weavers and knitters abroad.

Free to exportHS 5402
HS code
5402
Synthetic filament yarn — polyester POY, FDY and textured yarn, nylon filament (5402) — and spun yarn of synthetic staple fibres, including polyester-cotton and polyester-viscose blends (5509).
Export policy
Free to export
Free under ITC(HS) Schedule 2; no licence is needed. Confirm the 8-digit line on the DGFT ITC(HS) search before you ship.
Registrations
3
IEC, GST and those below
India’s exports, 2025-26
US$ 1.06 bn
to 124 countries

What is exported

India has large integrated polyester capacity, from PTA and MEG to filament yarn, in Gujarat, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Maharashtra, and spun-yarn mills in Rajasthan, Punjab and Tamil Nadu. Filament and spun synthetic yarns go to weaving and knitting industries in Bangladesh, Turkey, Egypt, the USA and Latin America. The trade is price-driven and follows crude oil and raw-material prices.

Varieties, grades and forms

  • Polyester POY and FDYPartially oriented and fully drawn filament for texturisers and weavers.
  • Polyester textured yarn (DTY)For knitting and weaving; grey or dope-dyed.
  • Nylon filament yarnFor hosiery, sportswear and narrow fabrics.
  • Spun polyester and blends (5509)Polyester-cotton (PC) and polyester-viscose (PV) yarns; sewing yarn.
  • Recycled polyester yarnFrom PET bottle flakes, with GRS certification.

Where it is grown or made

  • Gujarat and Dadra & Nagar HaveliSurat, Silvassa and Hazira — filament yarn capacity.
  • RajasthanBhilwara — PV and PC spun yarn.
  • Punjab and MaharashtraLudhiana and Baddi spun-yarn mills; Mumbai and Nagpur filament units.

Export packing

  • Cones or bobbins in cartons or on pallets with separators; merge number and lot on each carton.
  • Wooden pallets must be ISPM-15 heat-treated and stamped.

Who buys abroad

  • Weaving and knitting mills in Bangladesh, Egypt and Turkey
  • Yarn importers and distributors in the USA, Europe and Latin America

The quality buyers ask for

Denier / filaments
e.g. 150/48, 75/36 for DTY; or Ne count for spun yarn (e.g. 30s PC 65/35)
Lustre
Bright, semi-dull or full-dull
Tenacity and elongation
To buyer specification, tested per lot
Uniformity
Even dye uptake within one merge number; Uster values for spun yarn

Certificates

  • RCMCRequiredRegistration with the export promotion council or board for your product (not needed up to ₹3 lakh FOB per consignment since 15 Sep 2026).
  • OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100Often askedTests the finished textile for harmful substances; widely asked for by retailers.
  • GRSOften askedGlobal Recycled Standard, for recycled-fibre claims.
  • ISO 9001Often askedQuality management system; often asked for by industrial buyers.

Shipping, storage and shelf life

Container load

Cartons or palletised cones in 40-ft containers, typically about 12–18 tonnes depending on packing.

How it travels

Sea from Hazira, Mundra and Nhava Sheva; road to Bangladesh and Nepal.

Storage

Dry, covered storage; keep cartons upright and away from sunlight.

What goes on the pack and carton

  • Fabric and yarn: roll or carton ticket with quality, lot/shade or merge number, length or weight, and “Made in India”.
  • Each carton: yarn type, denier/count, lustre, merge or lot number, grade (AA/A), net and gross weight and “Made in India”.
Where to get it tested

Test at the textile research associations — SITRA (Coimbatore), NITRA (Ghaziabad), BTRA (Mumbai), ATIRA (Ahmedabad) — at Textiles Committee laboratories, or at any NABL-accredited textile lab (search the NABL directory for “textiles” and your city). Retail buyers often name a global test house with labs in India.

Benefits of exporting this product

Where to register

  • SRTEPCRCMC from the Synthetic & Rayon Textiles Export Promotion Council for polyester, nylon, viscose and other man-made fibre yarns, fabrics and made-ups.srtepc.org ↗

Quality and checks

  • Denier and filament count (or Ne count for spun yarn), tenacity, elongation, dye uptake uniformity and oil pick-up, per lot.
  • Some importing countries apply anti-dumping duties on Indian polyester yarn; check the buyer country’s trade-remedy notices before quoting.
How to start small

Act as a merchant exporter for a Surat or Silvassa yarn maker: send lot samples and test reports to weavers in Bangladesh or Egypt, and start with one container on LC. Since 15 September 2026, a consignment worth up to ₹3 lakh FOB does not need an RCMC (DGFT Notification 36/2026-27). Registrations that a law requires for the product still apply.

Where new exporters go wrong

  • Mixing merge numbers (production lots) in one shipment — the fabric shows barre and the buyer claims.
  • Ignoring anti-dumping duty in the destination, which can make the deal unviable.

Documents this product needs

Schemes that apply

Sources (4)
  1. DGFT — ITC(HS) export policy search (Schedule 2)
  2. SRTEPC — The Synthetic & Rayon Textiles Export Promotion Council
  3. DGFT — Appendix 2T: Export Promotion Councils and the products under each
  4. DGFT — Appendix 4R, RoDTEP schedule for DTA exports w.e.f. 10 Oct 2024 (Notification 32/2024-25)

Trade data

Indian polyester and synthetic yarn exports in numbers

From the Department of Commerce’s TradeStat, country by country. US$, Indian financial years (April–March).

Exports in 2025-26
US$ 1.06 bn
-1.8% a year on average, 2020-21 to 2025-26
Change from 2024-25
↓ -16.8%
US$ 1.28 bn → US$ 1.06 bn
Buyer countries
124
Average export price
US$ 1.81
per kg · 5,86,760 tonnes shipped · US$ 1.83 the year before
Türkiye: US$ 185 mnBrazil: US$ 132 mnEgypt: US$ 91.5 mnUnited States of America: US$ 55.9 mnBangladesh: US$ 45.4 mnMorocco: US$ 41.6 mnKenya: US$ 28.8 mnAustralia: US$ 26.3 mnSpain: US$ 23 mnPortugal: US$ 21.2 mnSouth Africa: US$ 20.6 mnNepal: US$ 20.4 mnPeru: US$ 19.8 mnAlgeria: US$ 19.2 mnSouth Korea: US$ 18.3 mnGermany: US$ 18.3 mnNetherlands: US$ 18.1 mnMexico: US$ 17.5 mnSri Lanka: US$ 16.3 mnMalaysia: US$ 16 mnBelgium: US$ 15.6 mnColombia: US$ 14.8 mnJordan: US$ 12.3 mnItaly: US$ 11.5 mnTürkiye: US$ 185 mnTürkiyeBrazil: US$ 132 mnBrazilEgypt: US$ 91.5 mnEgyptUnited States of America: US$ 55.9 mnUnited States of AmericaBangladesh: US$ 45.4 mnBangladeshMorocco: US$ 41.6 mnMoroccoKenya: US$ 28.8 mnAustralia: US$ 26.3 mnSpain: US$ 23 mnPortugal: US$ 21.2 mnSouth Africa: US$ 20.6 mnNepal: US$ 20.4 mnPeru: US$ 19.8 mnAlgeria: US$ 19.2 mnSouth Korea: US$ 18.3 mnGermany: US$ 18.3 mnNetherlands: US$ 18.1 mnMexico: US$ 17.5 mnSri Lanka: US$ 16.3 mnMalaysia: US$ 16 mnBelgium: US$ 15.6 mnColombia: US$ 14.8 mnJordan: US$ 12.3 mnItaly: US$ 11.5 mnIndia
Where Indian polyester and synthetic yarn goes — among our 80 countries, 2025-26
2020-21: US$ 1.16 bn1.2k2020-212021-22: US$ 2.06 bn2.1k2021-222022-23: US$ 1.45 bn1.5k2022-232023-24: US$ 1.25 bn1.3k2023-242024-25: US$ 1.28 bn1.3k2024-252025-26: US$ 1.06 bn1.1k2025-26
India’s polyester and synthetic yarn exports, year by year · US$ million

The price cycle

India’s average export price per kg each year (total value ÷ total quantity). Highest in 2022-23, lowest in 2020-21 — a 33% swing between them. Keep this swing in mind when you quote.

2020-21: US$ 1.59 per kg1.592021-22: US$ 2.02 per kg2022-23: US$ 2.13 per kg2.132024-25: US$ 1.83 per kg2025-26: US$ 1.81 per kg1.812020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-26
Average export price of Indian polyester and synthetic yarn · US$ per kg · dotted = year in between not available

What next: a projection from the trend

The past trend carried forward — not a forecast by any authority. Sudden changes in policy, prices or demand are not in it.

2020-21: US$ 1.16 bn2020-212021-22: US$ 2.06 bn2021-222022-23: US$ 1.45 bn2022-232023-24: US$ 1.25 bn2023-242024-25: US$ 1.28 bn2024-252025-26: US$ 1.06 bn2025-262026-27: US$ 1.1 bn (US$ 799 mn – US$ 1.5 bn)1.1k2026-272027-28: US$ 1.03 bn (US$ 727 mn – US$ 1.47 bn)1.0k2027-28
India’s polyester and synthetic yarn exports and projection · hollow bars = projection, line = likely range
By 2027-28: US$ 1.03 bn

Likely range US$ 727 mn to US$ 1.47 bn.

Trend
-5.7% a year
Fit (R²)
0.22 — weak, read with care
Based on
6 years of official figures

Method: a straight line through the logarithm of yearly exports (log-linear regression); range = ±1 standard error.

Biggest buyer countries

By value in 2025-26. Change is against 2024-25.

Name2025-26Change
1TürkiyeUS$ 185 mn-22.4%
2BrazilUS$ 132 mn-24.8%
3EgyptUS$ 91.5 mn+3.8%
4United States of AmericaUS$ 55.9 mn-15.7%
5BangladeshUS$ 45.4 mn-28.8%
6MoroccoUS$ 41.6 mn-18.4%
7KenyaUS$ 28.8 mn+24%
8AustraliaUS$ 26.3 mn+0.5%
9SpainUS$ 23 mn+0.6%
10PortugalUS$ 21.2 mn+8.7%
11South AfricaUS$ 20.6 mn+0.4%
12NepalUS$ 20.4 mn+2.8%

Where demand is rising and falling

Only countries that buy at least US$ 1 million or 1% of India’s exports of this product. Change from 2024-25 to 2025-26.

High demand

  1. MalaysiaUS$ 9.1 mn → US$ 16 mn+76.2%
  2. KenyaUS$ 23.3 mn → US$ 28.8 mn+24%
  3. GermanyUS$ 15.9 mn → US$ 18.3 mn+14.7%
  4. NetherlandsUS$ 16.3 mn → US$ 18.1 mn+11.5%

Low demand

  1. RussiaUS$ 27.1 mn → US$ 9.2 mn-66.2%
  2. ChinaUS$ 20 mn → US$ 7 mn-65%
  3. BelgiumUS$ 28 mn → US$ 15.6 mn-44.2%
  4. ArgentinaUS$ 17.4 mn → US$ 11.1 mn-36.3%
  5. South KoreaUS$ 28.5 mn → US$ 18.3 mn-35.8%
  6. CanadaUS$ 13.8 mn → US$ 9.4 mn-32%
  7. ColombiaUS$ 21 mn → US$ 14.8 mn-29.7%
  8. BangladeshUS$ 63.7 mn → US$ 45.4 mn-28.8%

Which forms sell, and at what price

India’s exports by 8-digit tariff line, 2025-26. Average price = total value ÷ total quantity (TradeStat): the average of every shipment on that line, not the price of any one deal.

Tariff lineValue 2025-26ChangeQuantityAverage price
Textured yarn of polyesters5402 33 00 · Yarn, synthetic, filament, monofilament, textured, of polyesters, not for retail sale, not sewing threadUS$ 330 mn-30.2%2,42,314 tonnesUS$ 1.36 per kgwas US$ 1.38
Other yarn of polyster staple fibrs mixed mainly/solely with cotton5509 53 00 · Yarn,, of polyester staple fibres, mixed mainly or solely with cotton, not put up for retail saleUS$ 184 mn-0.3%90,759 tonnesUS$ 2.03 per kgwas US$ 2.19
Other yarn of polystrs,multpl or cabld5402 62 00 · Yarn, synthetic, filament, monofilament, of polyesters, multiple or cabled, not for retail sale, not sewing…US$ 110 mn-18.9%33,205 tonnesUS$ 3.30 per kgwas US$ 3.38
Other yarn of polystr stpl fibrs mixed mainly/solely with artificial staple fibrs5509 51 00 · Yarn,, of polyester staple fibres, mixed mainly or solely with artificial staple fibres, not put up for…US$ 79.5 mn-9.1%33,197 tonnesUS$ 2.40 per kgwas US$ 2.41
Yarn of polyester,prtly orntd,untwstd or with a twist <= 50 turns per mtr, single5402 46 00 · Yarn, synthetic, filament, monofilament, of polyesters, partially oriented, single, untwisted or twisted 50…US$ 66.1 mn-19.2%69,310 tonnesUS$ 0.95 per kgwas US$ 1.07
Multiple(folded)/cabled yrn containing 85% or more by weight of polyestr staple fibres5509 22 00 · Yarn,, multiple or cabled yarn, of synthetic staple fibres, containing 85% or more by weight of polyester…US$ 43.1 mn+1.5%21,434 tonnesUS$ 2.01 per kgwas US$ 2.12
Multiple(folded)/cabled yrn containing>=85% of acrylic/modacrylic staple fibres5509 32 00 · Yarn,, multiple or cabled, of synthetic staple fibres, containing 85% or more by weight of acrylic or…US$ 33.1 mn-1%8,042 tonnesUS$ 4.12 per kgwas US$ 4.12
Single yrn containing 85% or more by weight of polyster staple fibres5509 21 00 · Yarn,, single, of synthetic staple fibres, containing 85% or more by weight of polyester, not put up for…US$ 32.3 mn-3.8%17,086 tonnesUS$ 1.89 per kgwas US$ 2.01
Yarn, synthetic, filament, monofilament, other than high tenacity or textured yarn, elastomeric, single… — elastomeric5402 44 00US$ 23.1 mn-28.7%6,725 tonnesUS$ 3.43 per kgwas US$ 3.72
Other yarn of nylon or other polymds, multiple(folded)or cabled5402 61 00 · Yarn, synthetic, filament, monofilament, of nylon or other polymides, multiple or cabled, not for retail…US$ 15.9 mn-2.5%4,263 tonnesUS$ 3.73 per kgwas US$ 3.96
Other yarn of polystr stple fibrs mixed mainly/solely with wool/fine animal hair5509 52 00 · Yarn,, of polyester staple fibres, mixed mainly or solely with wool or fine animal hair, not put up for…US$ 15.7 mn+5.2%1,469 tonnesUS$ 10.71 per kgwas US$ 10.23
Yarn, synthetic, filament, monofilament, of polypropylene, single, untwisted or twisted 50 turns or less… — other, of polypropylene5402 48 00US$ 13.1 mn+18.1%7,436 tonnesUS$ 1.76 per kgwas US$ 1.76
Other polyester (excluding terylene dacron)5402 20 90 · Yarn, synthetic, filament, monofilament, of high tenacity yarn of polyesters, whether or not textured, not…US$ 12.2 mn+42.4%6,904 tonnesUS$ 1.76 per kgwas US$ 1.93
Other yarn of polyester staple fibres5509 59 00 · Yarn,, of polyester staple fibres, mixed mainly or solely with fibres in item no. 5509.5, not put up for…US$ 10.1 mn+7.1%3,418 tonnesUS$ 2.95 per kgwas US$ 3.03

The world market

Each country’s own recorded exports and imports in UN Comtrade, 2023 (the latest year nearly every country has reported).

World imports
US$ 21.3 bn
2023
India among exporters
#2
of 119 countries
India’s share of world exports
5.7%
US$ 1.26 bn
Left for others to win
US$ 21 bn
exported by other countries

Top exporters — your competitors

  1. 1ChinaUS$ 9.13 bn 41%
  2. 2IndiaUS$ 1.26 bn 5.7%
  3. 3Viet NamUS$ 1.24 bn 5.6%
  4. 4TürkiyeUS$ 1.14 bn 5.1%
  5. 5USAUS$ 1.08 bn 4.9%
  6. 6ItalyUS$ 861 mn 3.9%
  7. 7NetherlandsUS$ 726 mn 3.3%
  8. 8Rep. of KoreaUS$ 724 mn 3.3%
  9. 9IndonesiaUS$ 713 mn 3.2%
  10. 10Other Asia, nesUS$ 656 mn 2.9%

Biggest buyers in the world

  1. 1TürkiyeUS$ 1.71 bn 8.1%
  2. 2IndiaUS$ 1.24 bn 5.8%
  3. 3Viet NamUS$ 1.11 bn 5.2%
  4. 4BrazilUS$ 1.02 bn 4.8%
  5. 5ChinaUS$ 1.01 bn 4.8%
  6. 6USAUS$ 1 bn 4.7%
  7. 7Rep. of KoreaUS$ 953 mn 4.5%
  8. 8ItalyUS$ 909 mn 4.3%
  9. 9EgyptUS$ 893 mn 4.2%
  10. 10GermanyUS$ 865 mn 4.1%

Opportunity: what these countries buy from the world, and from India

Each country’s own recorded imports in UN Comtrade, latest year it has reported. The long light part of each bar is demand other countries are filling today.

VietnamUS$ 1.36 bnIndia 0.9% · gap US$ 1.35 bn
ChinaUS$ 992 mnIndia 1% · gap US$ 982 mn
EgyptUS$ 986 mnIndia 8.4% · gap US$ 903 mn
South KoreaUS$ 922 mnIndia 3.2% · gap US$ 893 mn
United States of AmericaUS$ 963 mnIndia 7.7% · gap US$ 889 mn
GermanyUS$ 836 mnIndia 1.7% · gap US$ 822 mn
ItalyUS$ 775 mnIndia 1.9% · gap US$ 760 mn
IndonesiaUS$ 698 mnIndia 1.6% · gap US$ 686 mn
JapanUS$ 507 mnIndia 1.3% · gap US$ 501 mn
NetherlandsUS$ 492 mnIndia 3.8% · gap US$ 473 mn

TradeStat’s 2023-24 quantities are double-counted, so that year is left out of the price. Sources: TradeStat — Export Import Data Bank, Department of Commerce · UN Comtrade database (United Nations Statistics Division) · Figures taken 29 October 2026.

Step by step

How to export polyester and synthetic yarn

China dominates world polyester yarn production and exports; India is the second-largest polyester producer and a major exporter of filament and spun yarns. Large integrated producers give India scale, while smaller spinners in Bhilwara and Punjab specialise in blends. Demand follows global garment and home-textile output, and recycled polyester is growing fast. Trade-remedy duties in some markets are a recurring risk.

  1. 01Send samples and agree the spec

    Send swatches or cones with test reports; fix construction, GSM or count, shade, tolerances, packing and the testing lab in the purchase order.

  2. 02Check trade remedies

    Check whether the buyer country has anti-dumping duty on Indian polyester yarn.

  3. 03Reserve one merge

    Ship each order from a single merge number to avoid shade variation.

  4. 04Test and pack

    Test each lot and pack in labelled cartons or pallets.

  5. 05Book, stuff and file the shipping bill

    Book the container, stuff it at the factory or a CFS, file the shipping bill on ICEGATE with the correct 8-digit code and the RoDTEP/RoSCTL declaration, and get the bill of lading.

  6. 06Get paid and close the file

    Send the original documents through your bank (or to the buyer if paid in advance). Once the money arrives, get the e-BRC and claim RoDTEP, RoSCTL or drawback where they apply.

Meet buyers

Trade fairs

Questions

Questions about exporting polyester and synthetic yarn

Which council handles polyester yarn?
SRTEPC, which covers man-made fibre yarns and fabrics.
What is a merge number?
A production batch code; yarn from different merges can dye differently.
Do I need GRS for recycled yarn?
Buyers usually require GRS or similar certification to accept recycled claims.
Are there anti-dumping duties abroad?
Some countries have imposed them on Indian polyester yarn at times; check the importing country’s trade-remedy notices.
What RoDTEP applies?
Polyester filament (5402 33, 46, 47) earns 2.4% capped at ₹3 per kg; polyester spun yarn (5509 21/22) 2.5% capped at ₹5.8.
Sources (4)
  1. SRTEPC — The Synthetic & Rayon Textiles Export Promotion Council
  2. DGFT — Appendix 2T: Export Promotion Councils and the products under each
  3. DGFT — Appendix 4R, RoDTEP schedule for DTA exports w.e.f. 10 Oct 2024 (Notification 32/2024-25)
  4. OEKO-TEX — STANDARD 100

Who buys Indian polyester and synthetic yarn

All countries →

More in textiles & apparel

All products →