The U.S. is working on a deal with Belarus to replace the potash it receives from Canada for “substantially less,” U.S. President Donald Trump said.
“The United States is working on a massive Deal with respect to the purchase of Potash from Belarus,” Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social.
“The pricing would be for substantially less than we are currently paying to Canada, very good news for our Farmers and Ranchers. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump added.
European officials have called Belarus an “accomplice” to Russia’s war in Ukraine and earlier this year, Belarus launched joint drills with Russia to practice the use of nuclear weapons that Moscow has stationed in the territory of its neighbor and ally.
Potash consists of minerals and chemicals that contain potassium and is a vital input used for manufacturing fertilizers. It is used to support plant growth, increase crop yield and disease resistance, and enhance water preservation.
Canada is the leading exporter of potash in the world.
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The U.S. imports 79 per cent of its potash from Canada, according to the U.S Geological Survey. Russia, accounting for 11 per cent of U.S. potash imports, is a distant second while Belarus is in fourth place with three per cent.
“No substitutes exist” for potash in the agriculture industry, the USGS says, making it a critical implement for food security.
Trade talks collapsed between Canada and the United States last month after Ottawa walked away from the negotiating table in response to last-minute terms that Prime Minister Mark Carney says the U.S. demanded, including restrictions on Canada entering into new trade deals with other countries.
Since then, Trump has escalated his economic attacks against Canada, imposing multiple rounds of tariffs as well as import restrictions.
Belarus is “authoritarian state,” where “elections are openly rigged and civil liberties are severely restricted,” according to Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit group Freedom House, which releases annual reports on the state of democracy around the world.
“Security forces have violently assaulted and arbitrarily detained journalists and ordinary citizens who challenge Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s regime,” the group says about Belarus.
Belarus scored seven out of 100 on the think tank’s freedom index. Canada scored 97.
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