# Argon: Trading

Why Indian buyers pay more than Chinese sellers

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/argon/trading/

What this tab covers How it is bought and sold: buyers and sellers, price benchmarks and who publishes them, exchanges, contract types, traders, how Indian buyers price it, recent price points, and good sources to follow.

#### Who buys, and where

- Steel mills (bulk liquid)
- Cylinder distributors and fabricators
- Solar ingot and chip fabs (on-site or bulk)

#### Who sells, and from where

- Industrial gas majors from large ASUs
- Steel mills with surplus argon from captive ASUs

#### Price benchmarks

| Benchmark | Publisher | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| **Bulk liquid argon price assessments (China FOB, India CIF)** | Procurement Resource, ChemAnalyst | monthly, indicative |

#### Contract types

- Bulk liquid supply contracts of 1-5 years
- Cylinder supply with rental
- Spot liquid trades between gas companies in shortages

#### Traders and distributors

- Gas companies swap liquid among themselves; no merchant traders of note

#### How Indian buyers price it

- Supplier contract and list prices; some imported liquid priced at CIF parity

#### Recent price points

| Date | Price | Basis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | **$786/t** | CIF India, bulk | Procurement Resource |
| Aug 2026 | **$695/t** | FOB China, bulk | Procurement Resource |
| Apr 2026 | **about $725/t** | India, bulk | Procurement Resource |

#### Good sources to follow
[USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries: Helium and Rare Gases](https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/mineral-commodity-summaries)free research site · US Geological Survey

US argon sales, trade and uses each year
[gasworld](https://www.gasworld.com/)freemium newsletter · industrial gases trade publisher

rare gas supply and price news
[Procurement Resource argon price trends](https://www.procurementresource.com/resource-center/argon-price-trends)freemium research site · Procurement Resource

monthly argon price assessments for China, India and others

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/argon/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/argon/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/argon/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/argon/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/argon/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/argon/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/argon/cycles/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/argon/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/argon/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/argon/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/argon/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/argon/links/index.md)