US sanctions on trade in Belarusian potash are to be lifted, easing its return to open trading.
The announcement was made today by US envoy to Belarus John Coale after a series of talks with Belarus president Aleksandr Lukashenko and is, on the surface, linked to the release of political prisoners by Belarus.
No formal update has yet been made to the US Treasury's sanctions database. Current US sanctions specifically designate Belaruskali, Belarus Potash Company (BPC) and Slavkali.
Removing US sanctions will make it significantly easier to trade in Belarusian potash for companies around the world. A major exception, though, is the EU which has not shown any sign yet of lifting sanctions on Belarusian potash trade. This marks a significant break from the previous coordination between the US, EU and UK on Belarusian sanctions.
Belarus has, despite the sanctions imposed in 2021, exported significant quantities of MOP in recent years — it is on track to export 12mn tonnes this year, over 10pc more than last year — due to creative paperwork and lax enforcement of the sanctions.
