A proposed Michigan potash mine is receiving Trump administration support to expedite permits for mining in northern Michigan, which could eventually reduce the impact of tariffs placed on Canada and other trading partners.

The administration is fast-tracking Michigan Potash & Salt Co. 's efforts to open a $1.2 billion mine in Osceola County, along with nine other mining projects nationwide. The move comes as part of the administration's broader push to increase domestic mineral production and decrease reliance on foreign imports through the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council.

"This is the first use of the Permitting Council’s transparency authority, and we look forward to showcasing the many benefits the Federal Permitting Dashboard can bring to critical infrastructure projects as part of President Trump’s Executive Order on increasing American mineral production," said Manisha Patel, acting executive director at the Permitting Council, in the statement.

The U.S. imports approximately 90% of its potash supplies, most of which has come from Canada since 2020, U.S. Customs Clearance reported. About 95% of potash is processed into potassium chloride, a fertilizer ingredient that promotes resistance to diseases, healthy roots, and overall growth.

Researchers at the University of Illinois and Ohio State University say tariffs on Canada could increase potash costs for U.S. farmers by as much as $100 per ton.

"We appreciate the support of the Administration and the U.S. Department of Energy’s efforts to prioritize and accelerate domestic critical mineral projects. Michigan’s critical potash reserve is ideally located within the U.S. fertilizer demand center and will strengthen U.S. infrastructure and supply chains for American farmers, American businesses, and American families," said Cory Christofferson, chief development officer of Michigan Potash & Salt Co., in a statement.

Here's what to know.

What is potash?

Potash is a trade name for potassium bearing minerals used for fertilizer, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management said. Potash includes potassium nitrate, potassium chloride and potassium sulfate.

What is potash used for?

Potash is mainly used as agricultural fertilizer, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior's U.S. Geological Survey. The product is produced through various methods of mining.

Where does most potash come from?

New Mexico ranks first in U.S. production of potash, amounting to 75% of domestic production, the BLM said. The potash minerals mined in New Mexico are Sylvite (potassium chloride) and Langbeinite (potassium-magnesium sulfate).

However, the United States imports more than 90% of the roughly 10 million tons of potash its farmers use each year, the vast majority from Canada. From 2019-22, U.S. import sources were Canada (77%), Russia (11%), Belarus (6%), and others (6%), the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Will tariffs the Trump administration put in place affect potash imports?

Tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China have the potential to increase the prices paid by consumers and products for goods, services, and inputs from those major U.S. trading partners, according to a paper from the University of Illinois' farmdocdaily report.

"Fertilizers are such an input for U.S. farmers. Price increases would likely be greatest for potassium given the U.S. reliance on imports, in particular imports from Canada," Nick Paulson , Gary Schnitkey , and Jonathan Coppess , Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at University of Illinois, and Carl Zulauf , Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics at Ohio State University, wrote.

Over the last five years, the authors said, U.S. potash imports have ranged from $2.5 billion in 2020 to over $6 billion in 2022 when prices for fertilizers peaked due to effects of the Ukraine-Russia war.

According to the Illinois Production Cost Report, potash prices were around $450 per ton as of February. A full 25% tariff could increase prices by more than $100 per ton for supplies sourced from Canada, the paper said.

Where is potash found in Michigan?

Large reserves of high-grade potash are more than a mile and a half underground in the north-central Lower Peninsula.

The Archer-Daniels-Midland Co., the American multinational food processing and commodities trading giant, has partnered with Michigan Potash on selling its fertilizer directly to farmers and the U.S. agricultural industry.

What is the Michigan Potash project?

Michigan Potash is seeking to open a potash mine that would extract nearly 800,000 tons per year of potash and 1 million tons per year of table salt, the Detroit Free Press reported. The mine, which would use a fracking-like process, has been in the works for more than a decade.

Michigan Potash would use a process known as solution mining, which would pump heated water and brine (concentrated salt water) into a deep geologic formation known as the A1 Evaporite.

The fluids would dissolve salt and potash, which would be pumped back to the surface.

Michigan Potash officials cite the potential for 200 permanent jobs at the mine, along with about 1,400 jobs during construction. The mine would triple Osceola County's industrial tax base, with Michigan Potash projected to pay wages 2½ times higher than average county wages, Department of Energy officials said.

"This project — which has undergone rigorous review — will protect consumers, improve America’s trade balance, strengthen food security, and create jobs for generations. With continued leadership and focus at the federal, state and local levels, the U.S. can become less reliant on foreign countries for its critical minerals. Michigan Potash is proud to be part of the solution," the company said in a statement.

Where do Michigan Potash's permits stand?

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy's Air Quality Division approved an air permit "to install" for Michigan Potash on March 28, according to the MiEnviro Portal map.

The company also was awaiting approval of wetlands permits as of February.

What did the Trump administration do?

The Trump administration recently announced moves to accelerate the permit approval process for several mining and infrastructure programs, including Michigan Potash.

"The Federal Permitting Dashboard is a vital tool in enhancing interagency coordination and efficient decision making and will play an invaluable role in ensuring that these projects receive the most efficient review and authorization process possible in order to bring the benefits of next generation infrastructure to communities across the nation," Patel said.

This comes after President Donald Trump signed a March 20 executive order directing federal agencies to begin domestic production of potash and other minerals with urgency, under section 301 of Title 3 of the U.S. Code, including creating a permitting dashboard to track the permitting process, per the executive order.

Former President Joe Biden's administration in January 2025 approved a conditional commitment from the Department of Energy for a loan guarantee of up to $1.26 billion for the project.

The Department of Energy loan commitment followed the U.S. Department of Agriculture also providing an $80 million grant to Michigan Potash in December. The state of Michigan in 2022 approved a $50 million subsidy and tax-exempt bonding for the company.

What are criticisms of the proposed mine?

Not everyone is in favor of the potash mine proposal.

Marco Menezes lives about a mile from the proposed mine and told the Free Press his concerns include that the area is "infused with all of these little wetlands," including on the land Michigan Potash intends to use for its mine. A large wetland — one of the largest in Osceola County, he said — lies just west of the project boundary, providing waterfowl habitat and the headwaters to a trout stream.

"This project is going to encompass something like 16,000 acres that are leased over the course of its lifespan, which (CEO Pagano) says will be 150 years," he said in January. "That is going to dramatically change the nature of a rural section of land and completely industrialize it. And nobody seems to care except those who live nearby."

EGLE — then known as the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality — in 2017 approved Michigan Potash's request to extract 725 million gallons of groundwater annually, almost 2 million gallons per day.

Where would Michigan Potash's mine be located?

The proposed potash mine would be near Schofield Road and 120th Avenue in Evart Township in Osceola County, in Michigan's Lower Peninsula.

Construction of the Michigan Potash facilities is projected to take three years, with the possibility of the mine being operational by 2028.

What other projects did the Trump administration announce support for?

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Has Trump fast-tracked other Michigan projects?

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District, following an emergency order from President Trump to expedite the review process for energy supply projects, will accelerate its permitting process for a proposed tunnel for an oil and gas pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac lake bottom, the Free Press reported in April.

The move on the Line 5 tunnel proposed by Canadian petroleum transport giant Enbridge drew immediate rebuke from environmental groups, who called it an unwise bypass of necessary reviews to protect the Great Lakes and the communities and economy built around them.

Enbridge proposes to build a 21-foot diameter, 3.6-mile tunnel underneath the bed of the Straits of Mackinac to house a new, 30-inch diameter pipeline to move the oil and natural gas liquids. The tunnel pipeline would replace the twin pipes currently on the Straits bottom, Army Corps officials said.

The environmental impact statement review process on the Line 5 tunnel project was begun by the Army Corps in August 2022. On its website, the Army Corps earlier posted that it expected to have a draft environmental impact statement out later this year, with a decision by early 2026.

Army Corps officials on April 16 said the draft environmental impact study is now slated for release by June.

The Detroit Free Press contributed.