Trump says US seeks potash supplies from Belarus amid Canada trade fight

President Donald Trump announced that the US is negotiating a deal to import potash from Belarus, pitching it as a way to undercut prices currently paid to Canadian suppliers. The move represents one of the more unusual plays in the ongoing US-Canada trade war: swapping your largest, friendliest neighbor for a country that was under American sanctions just months ago. Trump posted on Truth Social that the deal would be “very good news” for American farmers and ranchers, framing the Belarusian supply as a significantly cheaper alternative. Canada currently accounts for roughly 85% of US potash imports, making it the dominant supplier of a mineral that’s essential for crop fertilization across American farmland. Why potash matters more than you think Canada exported approximately 22.9 million tonnes of potash in 2024, representing about 39% of global exports. That kind of market share gives Ottawa serious leverage in any trade negotiation, and Canadian officials have reportedly floated the idea of restricting potash exports as a countermeasure to US tariffs. Belarus ranks as the third or fourth largest potash producer in the world. The country’s state-controlled mining operation, Bel...