Potash
Potassium salts that fertilize the world's crops. Canada, Russia and Belarus dominate supply.
No direct role — food security.
Canada (~31%) plus Russia and Belarus supply most of the world.
Where it's produced
Share of 2025 world mine production (K2O equivalent) (thousand metric tons). Source: USGS MCS 2026.
Where the reserves are
Share of known economic reserves (thousand metric tons). World total: 5.9B t. ≈ 120 years at 2025 output.
Who calls it critical
Membership on each government list. “Strategic” marks a higher tier where the list has one; “group” means included as part of a group such as rare earths or PGMs.
Potash: key questions
- Where is potash mined or produced?
- According to USGS 2025 data, the largest producers are Canada (31%), Russia (20%) and China (13%) of world mine production (K2O equivalent). China accounts for about 13%.
- Is potash a critical mineral?
- Potash appears on 4 of the 10 official lists we track (United States, China, India, Canada).
- Is potash in short supply?
- Our supply status: Watch. Canada (~31%) plus Russia and Belarus supply most of the world.
- Why does potash matter for AI infrastructure?
- No direct role — food security.
Related minerals
ExplorerUranium
WatchThe fuel of nuclear power. Hyperscalers have signed agreements to restart and build reactors to power AI.
Phosphate & Phosphorus
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Metallurgical Coal
AdequateCoking coal used to make the coke that reduces iron ore to steel. Added to the US list in 2025 and listed by the EU.