Belarusian state-owned Belaruskali has exported 6.5 million mt of potash so far this year, according to Belaruskali Director General Ivan Golovaty, as cited by the state-run news agency BelTA on Sept. 25.
Golovaty said Belaruskali was operating at 80% of capacity, and Belarus continues to target the export of “at least 8 million mt” of potash in 2023. Russian Transport Minister Vitaly Savelyev in June said transshipments of Belarusian potash through Russian ports could increase to 8.4 million mt in 2023, up from 3 million mt in 2022 (GM June 23, p. 29).
Belarusian First Deputy Prime Minister Nikolai Snopkov, as cited by BelTA, in July reiterated the country’s plans to export 8 million mt of potash this year (GM July 21, p. 1). According to Snopkov, as of mid-June more than 4 million mt of Belarusian potash had been transported via Russian ports since the start of 2023.
Belaruskali has also increased its exports to China by rail since sanctions were implemented. Belarus railed more than 1 million mt of potash to China in 2022, according to an Interfax report in January, citing Belarus Transport and Communications Minister Alexey Avramenko (GM Jan. 6, p. 28).
However, according to Green Markets’ calculations, global potash imports from Belarus this year through to the end of July (latest data available) were only some 3.5 million mt, equal to last year’s level.