Trump Push for US Fertilizer Won’t Be Enough to Replace Imports

President Donald Trump has included potash among the minerals that need an immediate ramp up in US production. That’s unlikely to significantly break America’s reliance on fertilizer imports.

The US gets roughly 90% of its potash — used in the production of corn and soybeans, the nation’s two biggest crops — from other countries. Most of that comes from neighboring Canada, the top producer. US potash production accounts for less than 1% of the country’s total demand, according to Corey Rosenbusch, chief executive officer of the Fertilizer Institute.

“Increased production helps, but we still would be very reliant ...