Nutrien Chooses US Port for Potash Terminal, Faces Canadian Backlash

Nutrien (TSX:NTR,NYSE:NTR) has chosen the Port of Longview in Washington state as the preferred site for a new potash export terminal, shifting one of Canada’s largest resource expansions across the border.

The Saskatchewan-based producer said Longview emerged as the strongest candidate after it evaluated 30 criteria, including rail access, deep-water capability and overall construction feasibility.

Nutrien maintains that the Longview site is intended to complement its existing Canadian terminals, not replace them, and has emphasized that planning remains in early stages.

A final investment decision is expected in 2027, and the proposed US facility could handle 5 million to 6 million metric annually, with full buildout likely requiring between US$500 million and US$1 billion.

Stuart Smyth, a professor in the University of Saskatchewan’s Agricultural and Resource Economics Department, said Canada’s regulatory environment and rail bottlenecks have become decisive factors.

“To put a billion-dollar investment in place is going to require rail capacity improvements, and by the sounds of what Nutrien is saying, things are easier to get done in the United States than they are in Canada,” he said in a CBC interview.

Smyth added that discussions around this move likely began years ago, well before recent trade tensions.

Nutrien mines potash from six underground operations in Saskatchewan and ships most of its exports — up to 11 million metric tons per year — through Neptune Terminals on Vancouver’s North Shore.

Canpotex, co-owned by Nutrien, already ships about 3 million metric tons through Portland, Oregon, demonstrating a long-running reliance on US infrastructure when Canadian capacity tightens.

Global News notes that according to the Port of Vancouver, potash exports are up 26 percent year-on-year; however, expansions at its North Shore and Westshore terminals may still fall short of projected global demand.

Nutrien has repeatedly raised concerns about transportation delays in Canada, pointing to rail congestion in Metro Vancouver, as well as labor disputes that have disrupted past shipments.

The company said the Longview plan is designed to ensure reliability as it competes for market share in Asia.

Nutrien faces backlash from Canadian politicians

Nutrien's decision has triggered political reactions across three Canadian provinces and at the federal level, though officials broadly agree the company is acting in the interest of its business.

"Nutrien has their own shareholders and their own board that they have to be responsible to, so we're certainly very respectful of that decision,” Saskatchewan Trade and Export Development Minister Warren Kaeding said, also saying it is “unfortunate that they’ve decided that they need to build outside of Canada.” He said the province will continue pushing Ottawa to support a “major economic corridor” that strengthens export routes in all directions.

BC Premier David Eby questioned the choice more sharply, arguing that relying on a US port places Canadian resources at risk. “Puts Saskatchewan’s resources in a precarious place, and denies BC a port expansion,” Eby said.

Federal Minister of Transport Steve MacKinnon also urged the company to reconsider, saying, “I’m disappointed at this decision and we’re hoping to persuade the company to change its mind.”

Nutrien, the world’s largest potash fertilizer producer, reported US$1.7 billion in net earnings in the first nine months of 2025, supported by strong fertilizer prices, and expects global demand to continue rising.

Its expansion plans coincide with the looming arrival of BHP's (ASX:BHP,NYSE:BHP,LSE:BHP) Jansen development in Saskatchewan, slated to begin production in 2027 and expected to become the world’s largest potash mine.

The Longview terminal remains at least two years away from a formal green light, but if built it would allow the company to ship as much product through Washington as through Canadian ports by the early 2030s.

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Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.