Trump Says U.S. Is Working on Deal to Buy Potash From Belarus Instead of Canada

Trump Says U.S. Is Working on Deal to Buy Potash From Belarus Instead of Canada

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump says the United States is working toward a deal to purchase potash from Belarus, potentially giving American farmers an alternative to Canadian supplies as trade tensions between Washington and Ottawa intensify.

Trump said the Belarusian product could be obtained at a lower price than potash currently purchased from Canada. The comments point to a potentially significant shift in the U.S. fertilizer supply chain, since Canada has traditionally been the dominant foreign supplier of potash to American farmers.

Potash, a potassium-rich fertilizer, is widely used to improve crop yields and quality. For U.S. agriculture, changing suppliers could have consequences well beyond the mining industry, particularly if the move affects fertilizer prices and transportation costs.

From Canada to Belarus

The proposal comes as the Trump administration and the Canadian government remain locked in a broader trade dispute.

The White House has imposed additional tariffs on a range of Canadian products, although potash has received different treatment. In 2025, the administration reduced the additional duty on certain Canadian potash imports to 10%, while USMCA-qualifying goods continued to receive preferential treatment.

More recently, Washington imposed additional 50% duties on various Canadian goods in response to what the administration described as discriminatory Canadian trade policies. Potash was specifically excluded from those July measures.

The possibility of sourcing Belarusian potash therefore adds another dimension to an already strained U.S.-Canada economic relationship.

Belarus sees an opening

Belarus is one of the world's major potash producers, and President Alexander Lukashenko has confirmed that his country is prepared to resume potash exports to the United States, according to Reuters.

The proposed trade comes alongside a diplomatic thaw between Washington and Minsk. The United States recently eased some sanctions on Belarusian companies following agreements that resulted in the release of political prisoners. Lukashenko has also sought the release of more than $40 million in Belarusian funds frozen in the U.S. banking system.

That makes the fertilizer discussions part of a much broader diplomatic story.

Questions over the economics

Whether Belarus can quickly replace Canada as a major supplier remains uncertain.

Analysts cited by Reuters have questioned how much difference additional Belarusian potash would make to U.S. fertilizer markets, noting that American supplies of potash are already considered adequate and that other fertilizers, including nitrogen and phosphate products, face different pressures. Shipping and logistics could also complicate imports from Belarus, particularly because of restrictions and disruptions affecting regional transportation routes.

Lithuania, meanwhile, has criticized the prospect of closer U.S.-Belarus economic ties and urged the European Union to maintain sanctions against Minsk, arguing that Belarus has not sufficiently changed its conduct on human rights and security issues.

A trade decision with wider implications

For American farmers, the immediate question is straightforward: could a new supplier lower fertilizer costs?

For Canada, the stakes are broader. The United States is Canada's largest trading partner, and the prospect of Washington deliberately shifting purchases of a major Canadian export to Belarus underscores how quickly established North American supply chains can become entangled in trade policy.

For Belarus, meanwhile, access to the U.S. market could provide an important economic benefit while simultaneously advancing Minsk's efforts to rebuild relations with Washington.

For now, Trump has described the arrangement as a deal the United States is working on, rather than a completed agreement. The ultimate impact will depend on its price, volume, shipping arrangements, sanctions framework and how quickly Belarus can deliver the fertilizer to American buyers.

The potash market may be the immediate focus—but the proposed deal is also a revealing example of how Trump's trade policy is reshaping the economic relationships surrounding American agriculture.