Trump says U.S. hammering out potash deal with Belarus in bid to sideline Canada
U.S. President Donald Trump says the United States is working on a deal to buy potash from Belarus in a bid to reduce dependence on Canadian fertilizer.
In a social media post Monday morning, Trump said prices would be "substantially less" than American buyers pay to Canadian exporters.
The president touted the would-be agreement with the authoritarian state — a close Russian ally — as "very good news" for American farmers and ranchers.
Potash prices skyrocketed after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 but have came down since, though they remain above prewar levels.
America relies heavily on Canadian potash, with Saskatchewan-based producer Nutrien Ltd. saying Canada supplies more than 80 per cent of the potash used on U.S. farms.
Natural Resources Canada says the United States imported $4.2 billion worth of potash in 2025, or nearly half of Canada's potash exports.
Still exempt from U.S. tariffs, potash is a key component in fertilizers, and Canada produced about a third of the world's supply in 2023, followed by Russia and Belarus.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 21, 2026.
Companies in this story: (TSX:NTR)
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.