Published July 23, 2026
On March 3, 2026, Syngenta announced it will stop manufacturing paraquat worldwide by the end of June 2026, shutting down the Huddersfield, UK facility that was its only plant producing the herbicide's active ingredient. The company has framed the decision as a business call rather than an admission about safety, pointing to competition from generic manufacturers that has eroded its market position — Syngenta has said paraquat now accounts for less than one percent of its global sales and is sold in only a handful of countries.
Paraquat is marketed under brand names including Gramoxone and has been linked in multiple scientific studies to an elevated risk of Parkinson's disease. Environmental and public health groups, including the Pesticide Action Network and Environmental Working Group, have pointed to the timing and framed the exit as a response to mounting litigation pressure and public scrutiny, even as Syngenta maintains the product is safe when used as directed.
Syngenta's exit doesn't mean paraquat disappears from American farms. The chemical is generic and registered for sale by more than 750 other companies, so other manufacturers are expected to continue supplying it domestically even after Syngenta stops. Meanwhile, several states — including Pennsylvania, Virginia, Illinois, and New York — have introduced or advanced legislation aimed at banning or further restricting paraquat use, adding another layer of pressure on the chemical's future in US agriculture.
Syngenta's production decision has no direct bearing on the thousands of Parkinson's disease lawsuits already filed against the company, which continue moving through the federal MDL in Illinois and Pennsylvania state court. If you were exposed to paraquat in the past — regardless of whether the product is still being made — and were later diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, that exposure can still be the basis of a claim. Learn more on Atumio's Paraquat Lawsuit page or start a free case review.