The United States is preparing to receive its first shipment of Belarusian potash in four years, as President Donald Trump seeks cheaper fertiliser for American farmers amid rising costs linked to the Iran war and a trade dispute with Canada. A 30,000-tonne shipment of potash is expected to arrive at the Port of New Orleans on Wednesday, according to data from Kpler. The shipment follows Washington’s decision to lift sanctions on major Belarusian potash producers in March, opening an avenue for trade to resume.
Although this shipment from Belarus accounts for only a fraction of the 5.6 million tonnes of potash the US imported last year, it signals a tentative opening of relations between Washington and Minsk. Trump has said the US is working on a larger agreement to buy Belarusian fertiliser at prices substantially below what it pays Canada, its dominant supplier. But analysts have questioned whether Belarus can compete with Canadian producers on price and expand exports enough to significantly change the US market.
Potash is a potassium-rich mineral that is a primary fertiliser element. Potassium, an essential plant nutrient, has no substitutes, and potash is widely used in agriculture, including in the cultivation of corn and soybeans. The US depends heavily on imports to meet its potash needs.
Canada accounts for almost 80 percent of US potash imports, according to the US Geological Survey’s 2026 Mineral Commodity Summaries. Russia accounts for 12 percent, the second-largest share of US potash imports. That reliance has made fertiliser supply an economic and political concern, particularly as farmers face rising production costs.
In recent months, US farmers have reported higher fuel and fertiliser costs, putting pressure on already tight profit margins. Trump has reportedly been concerned that financial strain may cost Republicans some of the US farmer vote in this year’s midterms. In 2024, Trump won 78 percent of the vote in farming-dependent counties.
At an agriculture roundtable in Wisconsin in June, Trump promised fertiliser prices would “go way down” as the US emerged from the Iran conflict. Disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have added to pressure on global fertiliser markets, particularly for nitrogen-based products. Potash, however, is less directly exposed to the crisis, with the US relying heavily on supplies from Canada.
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