The US is expecting a shipment of 30,000 tonnes of Belarusian granulated potassium chloride to arrive at the port of New Orleans on 14 October, the Financial Times has reported. According to the publication, the shipment has become possible following the gradual easing of US restrictions on key Belarusian potash companies.
Briefly about the main points
- A consignment of 30,000 tonnes is due to arrive in New Orleans on 14 October.
- The cargo was dispatched on 15 September from the Russian port of Bronka.
- In March, the US removed Belaruskali and BPC from its sanctions list.
- Canada remains the main foreign supplier of potash to the US.
What is known about the cargo?
According to the FT, the consignment was shipped on 15 September from the port of Bronka near St Petersburg. It consists of granulated MOP — muriate of potash, or potassium chloride — the most common type of potash fertiliser.
The FT describes it as the first delivery Belarusian potash to the US following the easing of American restrictions. As of 5 October, the cargo had not yet arrived: unloading in New Orleans is expected on 14 October.
Which US decisions have paved the way for trade?
In December 2025, the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a general licence permitting transactions with Belaruskali, the Belarusian Potash Company and Agrorozkvit. On 26 March 2026, OFAC removed Belaruskali and the Belarusian Potash Company from its sanctions list.
The easing of restrictions took place against the backdrop of the agreements reached in Washington and Minsk. The Associated Press reported that, as part of this series of contacts, the Belarusian authorities released political prisoners, whilst the US eased some of its sanctions.
Why the party won’t change the US market
In September Donald Trump He stated that the US was working on a major deal to purchase potash from Belarus and that Belarusian products might be cheaper. At the same time, he emphasised that the United States would continue to purchase potash from Canada.
Canada remains a key foreign supplier: the AP, citing the USGS, estimated its share at approximately 79% of US potash imports. Therefore, a single consignment of 30,000 tonnes is unlikely to rapidly alter the market structure; the FT compares this to the 5.6 million tonnes of potash fertilisers that the US imported last year.
The transit of Belarusian potash through Lithuania to Klaipėda is restricted by EU sanctions. The Russian port of Bronka was used for this consignment, and the FT describes this route as longer and more expensive. The shipment is more a clear sign of a thaw in relations between the US and Minsk than a factor leading to an immediate change in American imports.
