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3h ago

Trump Threatens Tariffs on Canadian Fertilizer, Prompting Supply-Chain Warnings

Industry leaders warn tariffs would jeopardize integrated fertilizer supply lines given U.S. dependence on Canadian potash.

Philip Reid loads fertilizer into a seeding rig as he prepares to plant a canola crop on the family's farm near Cremona, Alta., on May 16, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Ore is processed into different forms of potash at Nutrien’s Cory Potash mine. Photo taken on Tuesday, February 11, 2025 near Saskatoon, SK, Canada. Matt Smith/Globe and Mail
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to tariff Canadian fertilizer imports to the United States during a White House meeting Monday.
U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a roundtable discussion with farmers in the Cabinet Room of the White House Monday, before announcing a US$12 billion farm aid package.

Overview

  • President Donald Trump said he may levy “very severe” tariffs on Canadian fertilizer while announcing new federal aid for U.S. farmers facing higher input costs.
  • Fertilizer Canada cautioned the U.S. lacks sufficient potash reserves to replace Canadian supply and said expanding domestic output could take 10 to 15 years.
  • USGS data show Canada supplied 79% of U.S. potash imports from 2020 to 2023, with Canada holding over 1.1 billion tons of reserves versus 220 million tons in the U.S.
  • Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe urged calm and warned cutting off Canadian imports could push U.S. buyers toward other suppliers such as Russia.
  • Policy options face constraints under CUSMA’s 10% tariff on excess Canadian fertilizer exports and a pending U.S. Supreme Court case on presidential tariff powers.