Belaruskali is one of the largest state-owned companies of Belarus. It is one of the largest producers of potash fertilizers in the world, accounting for 20% global supply as of 2019.[1]
Belaruskali is the largest single taxpayer in Belarus[2] and an important source of foreign currency of the Belarusian government.[1] As of 2015, it accounted for 11% of tax revenues of Minsk Region.[3]
Most of Belaruskali's production is exported to China.[1][4]
The company was established in 1958 and comprises four production units, as well as auxiliary shops and service departments.[4] The Belarusian Potash Company is the main distributor of potash fertilizers produced by Belaruskali.[5][6]
In 2020, four thousand workers of Belaruskali have declared a strike as part of mass peaceful nationwide protests that followed a controversial presidential election, demanding resignation of Alexander Lukashenko and new democratic elections.[7] There have been cases of miners cuffing themselves underground as part of the strike.[8]
According to reports, Belaruskali management threatened and put psychological pressure on the strikers.[9] Belaruskali paid extra bonuses to workers not participating in the strike.
The Belarusian authorities arrested and imposed 15-day prison sentences on some of the striking workers at Belaruskali.[10][11] Four activists of the Belaruskali labour union - Siarhei Charkasau, Pavel Puchenia, Yury Korzun and Anatol Bokun - were arrested after the strike began. 49 Belaruskali workers were fired for participating in the strike, several had to flee from the country.[12][13]
The arrested activists were later released following an international solidarity campaign,[14] fired workers were reinstated following inquiries from Yara International, the largest trader of Belaruskali's products, regarding worker rights violations at Belaruskali.[15][16][17]
In 2020, Belaruskali became one of the centers of strikes after the presidential election and violence against protesters.[18] On November 19, Belaruskali fired 49 striking workers, purportedly for absenteeism.[19]
On 24 June 2021, the European Union has introduced restrictions on potash trade with Belarus as a reaction to "the escalation of serious human rights violations in Belarus and the violent repression of civil society, democratic opposition and journalists, as well as to the forced landing of a Ryanair flight in Minsk on 23 May 2021 and the related detention of journalist Raman Pratasevich and Sofia Sapega."[20]
On 9 August 2021, the United States have added Belaruskali to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List,[21] while United Kingdom and Canada have imposed restrictions on potash trade with Belarus.[22][23] In a statement by the U.S. Treasury, Belaruskali is described as "a major source of tax revenue and foreign currency for the Lukashenka regime".[21]
On 2 December 2021, Belaruskali was added to the sanctions list of the United Kingdom,[24] while the Belarusian Potash Company was added to the SDN List by the United States Department of the Treasury.[25]
In 2022, Canada, the EU and Switzerland imposed sanctions against Belaruskali, its CEO Ivan Golovaty, and the Belarusian Potash Company.[26][27][28] In January 2023, the enterprise was included in the sanctions list of Ukraine.[29] In September 2024, the Court of Justice of the European Union refused to lift the EU sanctions against Golovaty, Belaruskali and the Belarusian Potash Company.[30]
In August 2024, an investigation was published by the Belarusian Investigative Center, Belsat, the Ukrainian service of Radio Liberty, Cyber Partisans and OCCRP, according to which a company registered in Cyprus and associated with Viktor Sheiman’s circle was used to circumvent sanctions against Belaruskali.[31]
In November 2024, Andrei Rybakov, who previously headed Belneftekhim, became the new CEO of Belaruskali.[32] In December 2024, Rybakov was added to the sanctions lists of the European Union[33] and Switzerland.[34][28]
According to a new investigation by the Belarusian Investigative Center, released in March 2025, technical salt produced by Belaruskali is sold in the EU as an anti-icing agent despite sanctions.[35]
