Trump Calls Putin’s Closest Ally to Solve His Canada Problem
President Donald Trump said the U.S. is working on a "massive deal" to import potash from Belarus, a country that has long been seen as a de facto extension of Russia. Yet with mid-term elections approaching, any deal aimed at easing input costs for American farmers is political points for Trump amid an escalating cross-border trade dispute with Canada. "The United States is working on a massive Deal with respect to the purchase of Potash from Belarus," Trump said "The pricing would be for substantially less than we are currently paying to Canada, very good news for our Farmers and Ranchers." New Orleans potash spot prices sit at their highest since July 2023, Fertilizer equities retreated on the rhetoric. Saskatchewan-based Nutrien Ltd. (NYSE: NTR ) fell as much as 5.2%, while Tampa-based Mosaic Company (NYSE: MOS ) slid 5.9% intraday before paring most of the losses by market close. Yet, in reality, the proposal faces numerous challenges: logistical, political, and physical, making the disruption to North American fertilizer flows unlikely. See More: Top Value Stocks
S. is working on a "massive deal" to import potash from Belarus, a country that has long been seen as a de facto extension of Russia. Yet with mid-term elections approaching, any deal aimed at easing input costs for American farmers is political points for Trump amid an escalating cross-border trade dispute with Canada. " New Orleans potash spot prices sit at their highest since July 2023, Fertilizer equities retreated on the rhetoric.
Saskatchewan-based Nutrien Ltd. 9% intraday before paring most of the losses by market close. Yet, in reality, the proposal faces numerous challenges: logistical, political, and physical, making the disruption to North American fertilizer flows unlikely. See More: Top Value Stocks Capacity Bottlenecks and Transit Hurdles Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko himself contradicted the viability of a large-scale export surge.
news. The scale gap is not even a comparison. S. potash imports in 2025 were about 13 million tons.
S. peaked at around 700,000 tons in 2021. Current logistics likely couldn't support even that. Lithuania ended its contract with Belaruskali in 2022, cutting access to the Baltic port of Klaipeda.
Since then, Belarus has relied on expensive rerouted corridors through Russia's Arctic. Meanwhile, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe branded the prospective imports "blood potash," citing Minsk's support for Russia's war in Ukraine. " he wrote on X. S.
imports, most of it originating from Saskatchewan's low-cost operations. Acknowledging that reliance, the Trump administration has kept Canadian potash exempt from its broad import tariffs. S. " Nutrien's operating performance remains solid.
4 billion, while first-half potash sales rose to a record. Management also raised its full-year volume outlook. The company expects global potash shipments of 74 million to 77 million tons in 2026. Nutrien said strong demand is already testing production and logistics capacity worldwide.
Image via Shutterstock Read Also: Mark Carney Pushes Back on Trump's Tariff Threat Over Canada-EU Ties: 'Nobody Is Going to Tell Us' With Whom We Can Strike Agreements