Sask. premier unsurprised that Trump now says U.S. will continue with Canadian potash
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says President Donald Trump's plan to purchase potash from Belarus 'was never realistic.' (The Canadian Press)Social SharingSaskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said it is "not surprising" that U.S. President Donald Trump has appeared to recommit to using Canadian potash, even as he mused about importing large quantities of the mineral from Belarus.
"It wasn't realistic," said Moe, speaking with CBC's Power & Politics on Tuesday.
"[Belarus is] shipping all of their potash east, not to the western world, and that's been indicated to be the case."
Moe's comments came after Trump announced on social media Monday that the United States was working on a "massive Deal" to purchase potash from Belarus, with pricing substantially lower than what is paid for potash from Canada.
U.S. shouldn't buy 'blood potash' from Belarus, Sask. premier says
Experts have already highlighted the potential deal's challenges, with Josh Linville of StoneX saying he doubts Belarusian potash will play a major role in supplies for U.S. farmers or in lowering prices.
"I'm afraid the impact would be limited. We have not struggled to find potash," Lineville told Thomson Reuters. "We have more than enough to go around. It is phosphate and nitrogen that we need help with."
Trump says U.S. working on deal to buy potash from Belarus
On Tuesday at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Trump appeared to pivot away from that announcement.
"We'll continue to go with Canada, but Belarus would like to sell it for a much lower price," Trump said.
Trump says U.S. working on deal to buy potash from Belarus instead of Canada
Potash is a key component in fertilizers. In 2024, almost a third of the world's potash came from Canada, all of which was mined in Saskatchewan.
According to Natural Resources Canada, since Potash and Agri Development Corporation of Manitoba (PADCOM) started commercial production in June, 11 of the 12 active potash mines in Canada are located in Saskatchewan.
Moe has described Saskatchewan's potash industry as ethically and economically superior to other international exporters.
He called Belarus' product "blood potash," because its proceeds go to "support Russian aggression" in Ukraine.
Fact check: Could Trump replace Canada's potash with Belarus?
On Tuesday, Moe repeated that criticism, saying Trump's comments were not realistic or ethical.
"Saskatchewan provides a reliable [potash] supply, has all of the infrastructure set up to provide that supply and is going to have more potash available in the years ahead, so it only makes sense to do business," Moe told Power & Politics host David Cochrane.
Saskatchewan's premier declined to speculate why Trump made his announcement. Moe said he doesn't understand a number of the president's policy positions.
Instead, Moe alluded to potential pressure from Midwestern, agricultural states ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. In his initial post on social media about the potential deal, Trump said it would be "very good news for our Farmers and Ranchers."
Alexander Quon is the provincial affairs reporter for CBC Saskatchewan. He has been a reporter with CBC Saskatchewan since 2021 and is happy to be working in his hometown of Regina after half a decade in Atlantic Canada. He has previously worked with the CBC News investigative unit in Nova Scotia and Global News in Halifax. Alexander specializes in freedom of information requests and data reporting. He can be reached at: alexander.quon@cbc.ca.
