Endowment of Potash Resources and Analysis of Investment Environment in Belarus

As an important source of fertilizer, potash is a decisive strategic resource to ensure safe production and supply of food. Potash is an abundant resource in the world, however as a large consumer of potash fertilizer, China is relatively short of potash resources and highly relies on imports from abroad. The international potash supply is monopolized, which may threat China's supply security of potash and even China's food security. Thus, building a diversified international cooperation pattern of potash trade is an inevitable choice for China's potash strategy. As a concentrated area of global potassium salt, Belarus is rich in potassium salt resources, with a total reserve of 1.29 billion tons (KCl equivalent, the same below), accounting for 10% of the global potassium salt reserves, ranking the third in the world. Belarus is the third largest producer and the second largest exporter of potash fertilizer in the world. In 2020, the production of potash fertilizer was 11.71 million tons, and the amount of export was 11.31 million tons, accounting for 17% of the global production and 21% of the global export. At the same time, it is also the third largest supplier of China's potash fertilizer, after Canada and Russia. The potassium salt deposits in Belarus are mainly developed in the Pripyat potassium bearing basin, which occupies the northwestern part of the Donbas-Pripyat rift system, and the mineralization period is the late Devonian. At present, many potash deposits such as Starobin, Petrikov and Oktyabrsk have been discovered, among which Starobin is a world-class giant potash deposit. To date, the potash deposit in Starobin area are mainly mined, and many other deposits have not been mined yet, which implies a huge potential of potash resources. As a priority area of cooperation between China and Belarus, potash resource investment cooperation has important strategic significance for China's food security. Although there are some risks and challenges, the overall cooperation environment is good and has great potential.