A polyester staple fiber factory went into operation in Korla City in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Friday.
The project, invested by Xinjiang Korla Zhongtai Petrochemical Co., Ltd., boasts an annual output capacity of 250,000 tonnes. It is by far the largest polyester staple fiber production base in northwest China.
Speaking at the project launch ceremony, Liang Bin, deputy general manager of Zhongtai Group, said that the new base is expected to meet diversified market demands for fibers and enhance the overall competitiveness of Xinjiang's textile and garment industry.
Polyester staple fiber is mainly used in the cotton spinning industry. It can be spun alone, or blended with cotton, viscose fiber, hemp, wool, etc. The resulting yarn is used in clothing weaving and home decoration fabrics, packaging fabrics, fillers and thermal materials.
Xinjiang is China's largest cotton-growing region. In 2022, Xinjiang's cotton output reached 5.39 million tonnes, accounting for 90 percent of the country's total output and approximately 20 percent of all cotton produced globally.
In recent years, Xinjiang has accelerated the high-quality development of cotton, textile and garment industry clusters to promote local processing and production by capitalizing on its advantageous resources.