US pressures Lithuania to resume Belarusian potash fertilizer exports via Klaipeda

The administration of US President Donald Trump is seeking to persuade Lithuania to resume the transit of Belarusian potash fertilizers through the seaport of Klaipeda. Washington aims to reduce its dependence on Canadian potash supplies and lower fertilizer costs for American farmers, Politico reports, citing European officials.

According to the publication, US Special Envoy for Belarus John Coale has been holding talks with Lithuanian diplomats in recent weeks on easing restrictions. Resuming Belarusian potash exports through Baltic ports would require a revision of EU sanctions imposed on the regime of Alexander Lukashenko.

Politico reports that Trump is working on an agreement with Minsk to purchase potash fertilizers at significantly lower prices. US interest in Belarusian products has increased amid trade disputes with Canada, high tariffs and rising global fertilizer prices. However, implementing the agreement would depend on the ability to transport potash through the ports of Klaipeda or Riga.

European diplomats oppose easing the sanctions, fearing that renewed exports would provide additional revenue to the Lukashenko regime. EU sanctions require annual renewal, and Lithuania could theoretically block the relevant decision. Meanwhile, Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius denied reports of US pressure and stated that the country has no plans to revise its sanctions policy.

The EU introduced restrictions on Belarusian potash following the 2020 presidential election in Belarus and the crackdown on protests. The sanctions were subsequently tightened after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The US has already partially lifted its own restrictions on the Belarusian Potash Company, but the EU remains unwilling to resume the transit of Belarusian fertilizers through its territory.

Tags: export, Belarus, USA, fertilizers