Toggle Daily
Trump says the US is working on a deal to buy potash from Belarus rather than Canada
September 22, 2026
Trump says the US is working on a deal to buy potash from Belarus at a price well under what it now pays Canada, its main supplier, amid a trade dispute.
Belarus has been led by Alexander Lukashenko since 1994, is a close ally of Russia and sits under Western sanctions. The US imports most of the potash it turns into fertilizer, and Canada has long been its largest supplier.
Key facts
- Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who leads the Belarusian opposition from exile, warned on Monday that any deal with Lukashenko is very risky.
- Trump says he is working on a deal to buy fertilizer from Belarus, an ally of Russia, and to shift away from Canada, the main supplier, as the two countries' trade dispute escalates.
The Guardian reports that Trump says he is working on a deal to buy fertilizer from Belarus, turning away from Canada, which supplies most of what the US imports, and toward an ally of Russia. The Hill carries the post itself, in which Trump puts the price of Belarusian potash well under what the US now pays Canada. Bloomberg carries the same announcement, and WSJ presents it as a move to push Canadian potash aside in favor of Belarusian supply.
The Guardian also reports that Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who leads the Belarusian opposition from exile, warned on Monday against any agreement with Lukashenko and called it very risky. The Hill carries that warning as well. Reuters carries Lithuania's position that this is not the moment to soften its stance toward Belarus.
The Guardian, The Hill, Bloomberg and WSJ carry the announcement and the price comparison with Canada in the same terms. The Guardian reports that 79% of US potash came from Canada in 2024 and 4% from Belarus, citing the US Geological Survey, which sets the scale of the shift Trump describes. The deal is not done, and The Hill reports that Lukashenko says Belarus has no potash left to sell to the US.
He posted, "The United States is working on a massive Deal with respect to the purchase of Potash from Belarus. The pricing would be for substantially less than we are currently paying to Canada."
Farmers
Still developing
The deal Trump posted about is in the works, and Lukashenko says Belarus has no potash left to sell to the US.
How settled the reporting is
Sources
- Reuters — Not the time to soften stance over Belarus, Lithuania says | Reuters
- The Guardian — Trump seeks ‘massive’ Belarus fertiliser deal amid Canada trade war
- The Hill — Alexander Lukashenko says there is no potash in Belarus left to sell to the US
Toggle read the full reports of 3 of the 5 outlets counted on this event. The other 2 are counted from their headlines and opening sentences.