The President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, has acknowledged that his country does not have enough potash to meet the demands of the President of the United States, Donald Trump. Lukashenko said during a meeting with Vladimir Orlavsky, the head of the Belarusian customs, "Everyone says: Ah, potash! Even if we wanted to supply potash to Western markets, we simply do not have this volume — everything is contracted."
Trump's request for purchasing Belarusian potash
On the same day, Trump stated that his country is "working on a deal" to purchase Belarusian potash fertilizer, as this product is "significantly" cheaper than the Canadian offer. Washington and Ottawa are currently embroiled in an escalating trade dispute.
Trump stated on the social media platform Truth Social: "The United States is working on a big deal to buy potash from Belarus. Prices will be significantly lower than what we are currently paying Canada, which is very good news for our farmers and ranchers."
Export restrictions on Belarusian potash
Belarus produces about 6 million tons of potash, while Canada is the largest potash producer in the world, producing 15 million tons annually. Lukashenko had previously announced that Belarus had supplied potash to the United States for the first time since 2021. The United States had imposed sanctions on Belarusian fertilizers following the violent crackdown on nationwide protests in 2020, which were lifted in March.
Lukashenko also pointed out that Belarus cannot supply a large volume of potash to the United States because the country's production has been contracted for this year. He did not specify how much potash has been sold to the United States and whether these shipments have been sent. He also added that Washington must first release Belarus's financial resources that have been blocked at Citibank since 2022.
Lukashenko said about this: "First, return our money... 43 to 44 million dollars." In previous discussions with Lukashenko in Minsk, Trump's special envoy, John Cole, stated that the United States is ready to release these funds.
