(Bloomberg) -- India’s biggest potash importer has asked a sanctioned Belarusian supplier of the soil nutrient to clarify the shipping routes it plans to use before signing a new deal for this year.

Indian Potash Ltd. asked Belarusian Potash Co. to disclose which ports it will use for the shipments, according to a person familiar with the situation, asking not to be identified as the talks are private. Those logistical concerns show that key Asian markets may also be affected by U.S. sanctions, said Elena Sakhnova, an analyst at VTB Capital.

Belarus has previously said it could reroute some potash shipments through Russian ports after losing a key transit route through Lithuania. That came after the U.S. imposed sanctions on miner Belaruskali OAO on Dec. 8, with penalties against exporter Belarusian Potash becoming effective on April 1. 

“Russian ports may handle the volumes instead of Lithuania, but given the sanctions risks, it is not yet clear if it will happen,” said Sakhnova.

Belarusian Potash didn’t reply to a message seeking comment.

Russian fertilizer producer PhosAgro PJSC said last week that it sees no signs of Belarus potash output reaching the markets.

Indian Potash is in talks to buy 1 million tons of the soil nutrient from Belarus, a person familiar with the matter said previously. 

Separately, the Indian importer is negotiating with Russian banks to accept payment in rupees and transfer rubles to Belarusian Potash, the person said. Indian Potash still needs to pay Belarusian Potash for the last 300,000-ton tranche of the 800,000-ton contract for 2021, the person said.  

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