U.S. President Donald Trump says his country will continue buying Canadian potash after all.
Trump made the comments to reporters during a bilateral meeting at the United Nations General Assembly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
It comes a day after Trump had said he was working on a deal to buy cheaper potash from Belarus in a bid to lessen the United States’ dependence on Canada.
Trump says the eastern European country would still like to sell its potash for a lower price.
Saskatchewan is the world’s largest producer of potash — a key component of fertilizers — and the United States is its biggest customer.
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.
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The president’s initial comments were condemned by Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, who said Belarusian potash is unethical due to the country’s involvement in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Belarus has a lot of potash, and our farmers need good prices, and we want to get a lower price,” Trump told reporters Tuesday when asked about the proposed deal.
“We’ll continue to go with Canada, but Belarus would like to sell it for a much lower price.”
Canada is the leading exporter of potash in the world.
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 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) says, making it a critical implement for food security.
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has said his country can’t supply the United States with large volumes of potash.
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.
Belarus scored seven out of 100 on the think tank’s freedom index. Canada scored 97.
With files from Uday Rana, Global News
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