The United States is discussing a large purchase of potash from Belarus, a potential shift in a market where Canada supplies most U.S. imports.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday his administration was working on an agreement to buy Belarusian potash at a lower price than the United States currently pays for Canadian product.

No purchase volume, price, delivery schedule or signed contract was announced. The statement therefore describes negotiations rather than a completed deal.

Belarus resumed potash sales to the United States after Washington lifted related sanctions on Sept. 11, Reuters reported.

Canada is a major global potash producer and the dominant foreign supplier to the United States. Potash is a source of potassium used in fertilizer to support crop growth.

Saskatchewan is the centre of Canadian potash production. The industry’s export performance is economically important beyond the province because railways, ports, suppliers and federal trade accounts connect it to the wider Canadian economy.

For Alberta growers, the immediate question is whether new supply competition could affect fertilizer prices or availability. No direct effect can be calculated from Monday’s announcement because the proposed deal lacks terms and shipping costs remain uncertain.

Belarus and Russia are major potash producers, but trade restrictions and transportation routes have complicated exports since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Reuters reported that Lithuania’s closure of the port of Klaipeda to Belarusian potash has forced some shipments toward more expensive Arctic routes.

That logistical constraint could reduce the price advantage of Belarusian product by the time it reaches North American buyers.

An analyst cited by Reuters said the United States already has sufficient potash supply and identified nitrogen and phosphate as tighter fertilizer constraints. The assessment suggests that a Belarusian agreement would not automatically produce broad reductions in farm input costs.