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Canadian government officials are publicly musing about restricting %Potash shipments to the U.S. amid an escalating trade war between the two countries.

Potash is a key ingredient in fertilizer used by farmers to grow crops such as corn and soybeans. It contains potassium, which is a nutrient plants need to grow.

Agriculture analysts view potash as a crucial part of the food supply. There are only a few places that produce potash and Canada is the largest global supplier.

According to the federal government in Ottawa, Canada produces 32% of the world’s potash, with most of that production occurring in the province of Saskatchewan.

Other major potash producers include Russia, Belarus, and China.

The U.S. is Canada’s biggest client when it comes to potash exports. In fact, the American Farm Bureau Federation says that more than 80% of U.S. potash comes from Canada.

U.S. lawmakers and farmers are publicly fretting about the impact that %Tariffs may have on America’s agriculture sector, especially if Canada restricts its potash shipments.

Chuck Grassley, a Republican Senator from Iowa has publicly called on U.S. President Donald Trump to exempt potash from his trade tariffs.

The Fertilizer Institute, an advocacy organization representing America’s fertilizer industry, has also called for a carveout on potash.

While the Trump administration has scaled back its 25% tariffs on Canadian imports, exempting items covered under the existing United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on trade, Canada has shown no signs of backing down on its retaliation against the U.S.

Canada is keeping its current reciprocal tariffs on $30 billion worth of goods from U.S. exporters in place.

The Canadian government has also said that it stands ready to move forward with a second round of tariffs that target $125 billion of American imports into the country.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says his government is moving forward with plans to apply a 25% surcharge to electricity that’s sent to neighboring American states starting on March 10.

Now, there are discussions about whether Canada should restrict potash shipments to the U.S.

However, some economists and analysts are warning about the dangers of attacking America’s food supply and how the Trump administration might react.

Trump has said that the pause on tariffs imposed on Canadian and Mexican goods will only last until April 2nd of this year.