“Uralkali’s announcement completely turns the global potash market upside down,” analyst Elena Sakhnova of VTB Capital in Moscow told Bloomberg.
“If previously global potash producers were acting like an oligopoly, working with the rule that benefited higher potash prices … now the market will be fully competitive.”
A spokesperson for the Saskatchewan government, which derives a significant amount of revenue from exporting potash, told CBC News the situation is being monitored.
Saskatchewan as a whole has the world’s largest reserves of potash, with PotashCorp holding the lion’s share. Canadian potash companies typically sell through a similar venture known as Canpotex, which is able effectively to set prices because of its size.
Shares in Canada’s major potash companies sold off heavily Tuesday in reaction to the news. At one point, PotashCorp plunged almost 25 per cent in New York trading. The stock finished the day at $31.63, down $6.27 or 16.5 per cent.
Mosaic fell $9.40 or 17.67 per cent to $43.81, and Agrium was down $4.93 or 5.39 per cent to $86.50.
With the selloff, PotashCorp has now lost roughly 50 per cent of its value since the BHP Billiton takeover was blocked in 2010. Adjusted for stock splits, PotashCorp is getting close to the level it was at before BHP Billiton came on the scene.
The company lowered its earnings forecast by roughly 20 per cent last week, citing lower prices.