MOSCOW, Reuters – Belarus diverted potash shipments to Russian ports from Lithuania’s Klaipeda port after Vilnius stopped using its railway to export the commodity to Belarus.

Since February 1, Lithuania has stopped rail transit of Belarusian potassiumash. Minsk was under U.S.- and European sanctions. Therefore, Lithuania could no longer use Lithuanian potash to transport the crop nutrition.

Golovchenko stated in a government video that “Due the longer distance between Russia and us, our producers have suffered a bit in margins but this will be made up by higher global prices.”

He didn’t name any Russian ports.

Belarus exported approximately 12.5 Million Tonnes of Potash per year to Klaipeda, a Baltic Sea port.

Russia’s Transport Ministry, Russian Railways, and Russian Potash Producer Uralkali did not respond to requests for comment. In 2021, Russian ports processed 19.3 Million Tonnes of fertilizers of all kinds in their port facilities.

Belaruskali, a state-owned company that produces potash worldwide is second. Washington placed sanctions on Belaruskali in 2021. Then, it was blacklisted by the Belarus Potash Company (BPC), as part of West’s punitive actions against President Alexander Lukasenko of Belarus for an attack on political opposition.

Washington granted BPC’s clients, which includes India, China, and Brazil, until April 1, to close their businesses with the company. This fueled fears of an extended price rise in the potash industry. Nearly 10-year-high prices for this crop nutrient.