President Donald Trump announced Monday he is working on a massive deal to buy potash from Belarus. He stated the pricing would be substantially less than what the U.S. currently pays to Canada. This move comes as the trade war with Ottawa heats up. On Truth Social, Trump stated that the United States is pursuing a massive Deal to purchase Potash from Belarus. He called it very good news for American farmers and ranchers. The White House has not confirmed which countries have signed on yet. Officials also declined to say which specific products would be covered.
Agricultural fertilizer accounts for roughly 90 percent of total potash usage globally. Global production sits at roughly 76 million tons each year. Three nations control 70 percent of that supply. Canada holds 33 percent, Russia has 20 percent, and Belarus has 16 percent. China remains the top buyer for potash from both Canada and Belarus. The top five global buyers are China, Brazil, the United States, India, and Indonesia. RedState noted that Ethiopia has the largest deposit but has not developed it.
The row between Washington and Ottawa came to a head over the summer. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Trump have traded escalating tariffs. This conflict caused significant pain for ranchers and farmers. These groups are traditionally reliable Republican voters. The Washington Examiner reported that the trade disputes hit these voters ahead of midterm elections. American farmers have been affected by both the tariff agenda and global shocks. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupted the global fertilizer market. Russia is currently the world’s largest exporter of fertilizer.
Hey @grok can Belarus replace Canada as top US provider of potash? If so, how soon? Before Xmas? Next year? Five years? Never?
— Jeffrey Luscombe (@JeffreyLuscombe) September 21, 2026
Trump’s team took similar steps last month to help consumers. They temporarily dropped tariffs on imported beef products. This move came after backlash from ranchers opposing the beef deal. In response, Trump loosened federal regulations on butchers. Ranchers no longer need to use federally approved third-party packagers before sending meat to market. The Washington Times reported that Canada is the world’s largest fertilizer producer. This makes the potential switch to Belarus a major strategic shift.
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko says Belarus cannot supply potash to the United States under Donald Trump’s proposed “deal” with Belarus.
Lukashenko said today, “Even if we wanted to supply somewhere else, Western markets, we just don’t have those volumes, everything has… pic.twitter.com/P5PFoDtW1F
— Harrison Faulkner (@Harry__Faulkner) September 21, 2026
Some experts doubt the practical impact of this new plan. One analyst told the Washington Examiner that the move is possible, but not very likely. The expert noted, I’m afraid the impact would be limited. We have not struggled to find potash. They added that the U.S. has more than enough to go around. The real need is for phosphate and nitrogen, not potash. The source also mentioned the deal might just be leverage against Canada.
White House officials have not confirmed if a final contract exists. RedState described the analysis of the deal’s true meaning as purely speculative. The timing suggests a political message to Ottawa. Right after the post, Trump departed Washington for New York to join the United Nations General Assembly. The pricing goal remains the key point of the announcement. If true, it would break the long-standing reliance on Canadian suppliers. The final status of any signed agreements remains unconfirmed as of writing.
