The US is working on a large-scale deal to buy potash fertilizers from Belarus, announced US President Donald Trump. According to him, future supplies should be at significantly lower prices than those that the US market currently pays for Canadian production.
“The US is working on a large-scale deal to buy potash from Belarus“, Trump wrote on his social network Truth Social. He indicated that the price will be “significantly lower“ than that of Canadian supplies and described this as good news for American farmers and ranchers.
So far, the American president has not announced the value of the potential deal, what quantities will be delivered and when the final agreement may be concluded.
The topic is of crucial importance for American agriculture, as the United States is heavily dependent on the import of potash fertilizers from Canada. According to data cited by The Canadian Press, more than 80% of the potash used by American farmers comes from their northern neighbor. In 2025, the United States imported Canadian potash fertilizers for about 4.2 billion USD.
Potash is a general name for potassium-rich mineral salts, used mainly in the production of fertilizers. Potassium is one of the main nutrients for plants and is important for yields, the quality of agricultural products and the sustainability of crops.
Belarus is among the leading producers of potash fertilizers in the world. According to data from the Canadian Ministry of Natural Resources, in 2024 the country produced about 12.1 million tons, or nearly 16% of global production. Canada remains the largest producer with nearly 25 million tons and a share of about a third of global production.
Trump's announcement comes against the backdrop of the restoration of supplies of Belarusian potash fertilizers to the US market. On September 11, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that the country was already shipping products to the US, but warned that Minsk did not immediately have large free quantities, since a significant part of the production had been agreed in advance.