Belarus has no potash left for US despite Trump deal plans
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko (photo: Getty Images)
Belarus has no spare volumes of potash fertilizer left for Western countries, as everything it produces has already been allocated under existing contracts, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said.
Why Minsk has no potash for the West
Lukashenko said that harsh economic "attacks" from European Union countries and the West as a whole have not disappeared, so Belarus continues to redirect its trade flows.
"The harsh economic attacks from the countries of the European Union and the West as a whole have not gone away. Trade flows are being redirected eastward," Lukashenko said on Monday in Minsk while receiving a report from Vladimir Orlovsky, head of the State Customs Committee.
What about the agreements with the US
Lukashenko had previously spoken about supplying Belarusian potash fertilizers to the US. At the same time, Minsk cannot provide the Americans with large volumes, as all products manufactured this year have already been contracted.
"As far as I have been informed by the prime minister and the government, we have managed to redirect our trade flows eastward. The negotiations with the Americans are evidence of this. And many people here are shouting, 'Oh, potash!' Even if we wanted to supply it somewhere else, to Western markets, we simply do not have these volumes. Everything has been contracted," the Belarusian leader said.
Lukashenko explains the situation with SPOT
The Belarusian leader also addressed another issue related to the redirection of trade flows: Russia's introduction of the system for confirming expected goods, known as SPOT.
"How are we affected by the measures being taken by Russia to protect its market, the so-called SPOT? In general, of course, I am following the situation and have been informed that you have managed to establish good, strong relations with Russia regarding the implementation of these measures, and our carriers are not experiencing any serious problems. That is good," Lukashenko said.
Meanwhile, Washington reported the previous day that preparations were underway for a major agreement with Belarus to purchase potash fertilizers, which are expected to cost less than products from Canada.
US President Donald Trump also announced preparations for such an agreement the previous day, calling it "very good news" for American farmers and ranchers.
