In brief
Donald Trump announced on 21 September 2026 that the US is negotiating a potash purchase agreement with Belarus at prices lower than Canadian imports, which accounted for $4.2 billion in US purchases in 2025.
Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko stated that annual output is already contracted to other markets, while repeating demands for Washington to unfreeze $43 to $44 million in state assets held at Citibank.
Lithuanian officials confirmed that EU sanctions prohibit Belarusian potash transit to Klaipeda port, and Ukrainian authorities previously rejected US requests to open transit corridors.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya condemned the proposed deal, warning that potash revenues support Minsk's domestic repression and Russian military efforts.
- March 2026The US formally removes Belaruskali from its sanctions list
- 11 SeptAleksandr Lukashenko announces an initial potash shipment loaded for the US
- 21 SeptDonald Trump announces negotiations on a potash purchase deal with Belarus
Trump announces proposed potash purchase
US President Donald Trump stated on 21 September 2026 that the United States is working on an agreement to purchase potash fertilizer from Belarus. Writing on Truth Social, Trump noted that the pricing would be substantially lower than what the United States currently pays to Canada, describing the development as beneficial for American farmers and livestock ranchers. The proposal follows ongoing trade disagreements between Washington and Ottawa regarding bilateral tariff levels on various industrial and agricultural goods. Canada currently supplies between 79% and 80% of all potash imported by American agricultural producers, representing 4.2 billion dollars in trade in 2025. According to US Geological Survey figures, Canada produces 15 million metric tons of potash annually, whereas Belarus produces approximately 6 million metric tons, set against total US annual import demand of 5.6 million metric tons.
- Canada production
- 15 million metric tons
- Belarus production
- 6 million metric tons
- US annual imports
- 5.6 million metric tons
Data from the article text
Minsk signals limited available volume
Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko tempered expectations regarding immediate large-scale shipments following Trump's comments. Speaking during a meeting with State Customs Committee Chairman Vladimir Orlovsky, Lukashenko stated that existing production volumes are already committed to other international buyers for the year. The statement followed remarks by Lukashenko on 11 September 2026, when he confirmed that Belarus had begun loading an initial shipment for the United States for the first time since 2021. Lukashenko also reiterated demands that Washington release 43 to 44 million dollars in Belarusian state funds frozen in Citibank since 2022.
“Even if we wanted to supply somewhere to other, Western markets, these volumes simply do not exist, everything is contracted.”
Sanctions and transit barriers in Europe
The proposed agreement follows diplomatic contacts led by US special envoy John Cole, who conducted multiple negotiation visits to Minsk starting in late 2025. While Washington lifted sanctions on Belaruskali and the Belarusian Potash Company in March 2026 following political prisoner releases, European logistical routes remain blocked. Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius said Washington had made no request to use Lithuanian transit infrastructure to reach the Baltic port of Klaipeda. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys and Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas affirmed that European Union sanctions prohibit the transit of Belarusian potash, noting that policy changes would not occur before the conclusion of the war in Ukraine. Earlier transit requests made by US officials to Ukraine were also rejected by authorities in Kyiv.
Opposition and regional pushback
The proposed purchase drew swift criticism from Canadian regional leaders and Belarusian political figures in exile. Scott Moe, the Premier of Saskatchewan, where all ten Canadian potash mines operate, questioned the logistics and ethics of purchasing supplies that must transit through Russian territory. Belarusian democratic opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya stated during meetings at the United Nations General Assembly in New York that fertilizer sales represent the primary source of revenue for the administration in Minsk. Tsikhanouskaya stated that such funds finance domestic political repression and provide economic support to the Russian defense sector.
“Buying blood potash from Belarus is helping Russia. It is a mistake and makes no sense.”