Argon: Production
A gas whose world output nobody publishes
What this tab covers Who makes it and how much: world capacity and output, utilisation, the top producing countries and companies globally and in India, concentration, new capacity coming, and each region's position.| Measure | Figure | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| World capacity | not published | USGS: world production of argon 'was large', no figure | |
| World output | world not published; US sales 1.1 billion m3 (about 2.0 Mt) in 2025, with imports of 35 million m3 and exports of 60 million m3 | USGS MCS 2026 | |
| Capacity utilisation | not published | Four new US ASUs able to produce argon started in 2025 (Louisiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas). Supply tightens when steel-plant ASUs or ammonia plants shut. | USGS MCS 2026 |
| Concentration | top-5 gas companies about 80-84% of industrial gases | Argon sales are dominated by the same majors, plus captive steel ASUs in China and India. | MarketsandMarkets (2024) |
| New capacity | new argon-capable ASUs mostly in Asia | Four US argon-capable ASUs started in 2025; several new rare-gas ASUs are under development, mostly in Asia (USGS 2026). | USGS MCS 2026 |
Top producing countries
- China: not published; largest steel (980 Mt) and solar ingot base
- United States: about 2.0 Mt sold (2025); net exporter
- India: not published; 160 Mt steel
- Japan: not published; 81 Mt steel
- Russia: not published; rare gas supply from Russia and Ukraine limited since 2022
Largest producers: global
| Company | Country | Volume | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linde argon volume not disclosed | UK/US/Germany | 33.99 $ billion sales, all gases | 2025 | Linde 2025 Annual Report |
| Air Liquide not retrieved | France | not published | 2025 | company |
| Air Products not retrieved | US | not published | FY2025 | company |
| Airgas (Air Liquide) largest US cylinder distributor | US | not published | 2014 | gasworld (2014 price increases of up to 25% and 15%) |
| Nippon Sanso Holdings not retrieved | Japan | not published | 2025 | MarketsandMarkets top-5 |
Largest producers: India
| Company | Country | Volume | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| INOX Air Products argon volume not published | India | 456 $ million commercial gas revenue, all gases | 2024 | gasworld India report (2025) |
| Linde India argon volume not published | India | 466 $ million commercial gas revenue, all gases | 2024 | gasworld India report (2025) |
| Air Liquide India | India | not published | 2024 | gasworld India report (2025) |
India makes argon at steel-plant and merchant ASUs; national volumes are not published. Indian bulk argon was priced about 13% above Chinese export argon in August 2026 ($786/t CIF against $695/t FOB), which points to some import dependence at the margin (Procurement Resource).
Position by region
| Region | Position |
|---|---|
| US | Net exporter: exports 60 million m3 against imports 35 million m3 (2025); 90% of imports from Canada (USGS). |
| EU | Self-sufficient in normal years; ASU closures at idled steel and ammonia plants in 2022 tightened supply (indicative). |
| India | Domestic supply from steel ASUs; prices above China's export level in 2026. |
| China | Largest producer and user; solar ingot growth is a major demand source (indicative). |
| Japan | Self-sufficient; electronics demand. |
| Middle East | Large ASUs at GTL and petrochemical sites can recover argon. |