A new semiaromatic polyamide, PA9-T was melt-spun at take-up speeds from 200 to 1000 m min(-1). The as-spun fibers were drawn with CO2 laser-heated drawing to their maximal draw ratio (DRmax). The drawing stress was recorded during this process. The effects of take-up speed of melt-spinning on maximally drawn fibers were characterized through measurements of density, birefringence, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, crystal orientation, tensile testing, and dynamic viscoelastic analysis. All as-spun fibers were essentially amorphous and their birefringence and density increased slightly with the increase of take-up speed. Lower take-up speeds yielded higher DRmax values, and fibers drawn to their DRmax exhibited superior structure and mechanical properties. The tensile strength and Young's modulus achieved were the highest reported to date for PA9-T: 737 MPa and 5.8 GPa, respectively.