U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States will continue buying Canadian potash after all, while arguing it should be cheaper than what is currently available.
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U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States will continue purchasing Canadian potash but wants a lower price, after earlier remarks suggested he was seeking an alternative supply arrangement. Trump made the comments to reporters Tuesday during a bilateral meeting at the United Nations General Assembly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Trump said Belarus has potash and that U.S. farmers need good prices, framing his desire as getting a “lower price” for fertilizer inputs. When asked about proposed steps to pursue cheaper potash from Belarus, he said Canada would remain part of the U.S. supply but Belarus would be expected to sell for “a much lower price.”
Canada is the world’s largest producer of potash, and the United States is its biggest customer, according to the information provided. The same material notes that all of Canada’s potash is produced in Saskatchewan.
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said in response that Canadian potash is reliable and cost-effective, adding that Canada will continue to supply the United States. Carney said there is an opportunity for both countries to grow the fertilizer industry together, describing the potential as beneficial for Canadian and American farmers.
The remarks arrive after scrutiny of Trump’s earlier comments about shifting toward Belarusian potash. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe condemned the initial suggestion, saying Belarusian potash is unethical due to Belarus’s involvement in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Industry leaders and economists have also raised doubts about how the United States could obtain cheaper potash from Belarus, given Canada’s proximity and the reliability of its supply-chain infrastructure. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, according to the information provided, said his country has limitations and cannot supply the United States with large volumes of potash.
The exchange underscores the role of potash in agricultural supply chains and the sensitivity of fertilizer pricing in Canada–U.S. trade. With Canada producing all its potash in Saskatchewan and supplying the majority of U.S. demand, Trump’s comments signal that price competitiveness—not just access to supply—remains central to ongoing trade discussions between the two countries.
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