Potassium chloride prices in Europe were still on the climb in May 2025, the third consecutive month. Tighter global availability, rising logistics charges, and seasonal demand boost ahead of late-spring cropping activity underpin the higher trend. Fertilizer manufacturers struggled to procure adequate material, particularly as farmers scrambled to get nutrients down before the summer crop cycle.

A range of factors has curtailed the entry of potassium chloride into the European Union. Sanctions on Belarus, which is one of the most significant traditional suppliers, have continued to limit exposure to European rail and port infrastructure, relegating export quantities to well below pre-2022 conditions. Russia also extended its export quotas of potassium chloride through the summer months, further tightening global supply.

In North America, Canadian producer Mosaic conducted scheduled maintenance at its Esterhazy operation, cutting international shipments of potassium chloride when European buyers were in the process of restocking. Germany's K+S meanwhile had good export demand from other markets, which cut the available volumes for the domestic market.

On the demand side, fertilizer distributors continued to be busy despite soft grain prices. Furthermore, dry conditions in some of France and the UK caused farmers to modify their plant nutrient plans and add more potassium chloride to fortify root systems.

Logistics constraints were also to blame for the elevated prices of potassium chloride. Bottlenecks at key ports such as Hamburg, Antwerp, and Bremerhaven delayed shipments and increased the cost of transporting fertilizers inland. Rail transportation space into Central and Eastern Europe was booked solid well into May, with some customers resorting to more costly truck transportation to arrange deliveries.

In reaction to the tight supply situation of potassium chloride, leading suppliers took a conservative stance. Israeli producer ICL reported that it was favoring long-term contract customers and anticipated the supply situation to be tight through the third quarter. Russian producers diverted more shipments to Brazil and Southeast Asia, where returns were more favorable, leaving less available to European buyers. Some Spanish and Italian fertilizer blenders preferred to dip into current stockpiles instead of placing fresh orders, hoping for respite once Canadian production comes back online.

Looking forward, the ChemAnalyst database anticipates that the European potassium chloride market to stay strong in the short term. Although a possibility exists that Russian export quotas could cave in or Canadian deliveries recover following maintenance, any ease is expected to be short-lived. The EU is also seeking mechanisms to loosen transit regulations for Belarusian fertilizers with close observation, and this could step by step enhance the supply of potassium chloride.