Canpotex
Canpotex, short for Canadian Potash Exporters, is a Canadian potash exporting and marketing firm, incorporated in 1970 and operating since 1972. Based in Saskatchewan, Canpotex manages the entire Saskatchewan potash exporting industry, including transportation and delivery.
Canpotex is the world's largest exporter of potash, selling over 13 million tonnes of potash every year, representing about one-third of global capacity. The global potash market was considered a duopoly between Canpotex and Belarusian Potash Company, a similar consortium which exported Belarusian and Russian potash ; until the BPC marketing venture failed in 2013, the two collectively controlled 70% of global potash exports.
History
Canpotex's predecessor was Canada's Potash Conservation Board. The Board was established in 1969, which was a time when prices were dropping significantly in the North American potash market, and the Board's goal was to limit production and establish minimum prices.Member producers
Canpotex is wholly owned by its two Shareholders:- The Mosaic Company 50%
- Nutrien 50%
Facilities
Canpotex has commissioned over 8,000 specialized covered hopper cars for inland transportation of potash from landlocked Saskatchewan to ports, and operates solely on Canadian Pacific Railway lines. In 2011, Canpotex started on the construction of a new $55 million rail car maintenance yard near the town of Lanigan, Saskatchewan used to perform maintenance and manage the inventory of railcars.The majority of its potash is shipped overseas to Asian, Latin American, and Oceanic markets through Neptune Terminals, partly owned by Canpotex, in North Vancouver, British Columbia. Since 1997, Canpotex has additionally exported through Portland Terminals in Portland, Oregon. Canpotex additionally ships smaller quantities of potash through the St. Lawrence Seaway via Thunder Bay, Ontario, and has access to ports on the East Coast of the United States and Gulf of Mexico.