Shipping Belarus’ potash to the United States would undermine US-Canada trade and give Russia a chokehold on US agriculture.
President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social on September 21 that his administration was negotiating a “massive” deal to buy potash from Belarus, claiming farmers would pay substantially less than they do for the Canadian supply. Potash, a potassium-rich mineral, is one of the three core nutrients (alongside nitrogen and phosphorus) that fertilize American crops, and most US farmers get it from Canada.
The next day, the president walked it back, partly. In follow-up remarks, he said the United States will keep buying Canadian potash but will still pursue the Belarus deal: “Belarus has a lot of potash, and our farmers need good prices, and we want to get a lower price.” So Canada stays in the picture for now, and Minsk becomes a bargaining chip. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe shot back, calling it “blood potash” and noting that Belarusian potash must cross Russia, an ocean, and half the continental United States to reach a Midwest farm.