PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Employees at the Canadian-owned, Trinidad-based ammonia and urea company, Nutrien, have been told they should report to work as usual amid reports that they would have been terminated on Monday.
In an internal letter circulated to the staff, the company said that workers will remain employed for now despite the continued shutdown of its operations.
Nutrien vice president and managing director, Edmond Thompson, said the terms and conditions of the workers would remain unchanged and that they should continue reporting for duty.
“Our nitrogen operations remain shut down, and all options remain under consideration. In the meantime, employees’ terms and conditions remain unchanged, and employees should report to work as usual,” Thompson wrote in the letter.
The issue follows last week’s announcement by the National Gas Company (NGC) that it had issued a formal notice to Nutrien, indicating that all gas meter runs to the Point Lisas facility will be isolated, effectively cutting off supply and access to port operations.
NGC had confirmed that Nutrien was formally notified that all gas meter runs to its Point Lisas facility would be isolated from January 1, 2026, following the expiry of its gas contract.
There had been suggestions that the notification could effectively mark the end of the Canadian-owned fertiliser producer’s 45-year presence in Trinidad and Tobago, even as Nutrien management said the company has “engaged in discussions in good faith and with integrity to find a comprehensive long-term solution and sustainable path forward.
“Our Trinidad and Tobago nitrogen operations remain shut down, and all options remain under consideration. We will provide further updates as appropriate.”
NGC claims Nutrien owes US$28 million in backdated port fees. Nutrien, however, rejected claims of unpaid fees, saying it had settled all port user invoices issued to it, despite the port contract having expired in 2019.
National Energy continued invoicing Nutrien at the same rates applied under the expired agreement and accepted payment each year, which the company maintains constituted an ongoing contractual arrangement.
Last month, former energy minister Stuart Young said reports that Nutrien plans to sell off overseas assets and redirect capital toward potash “will be a disaster” for Trinidad and Tobago.
Young, who served as minister of energy and energy-related industries in the last two People’s National Movement (PNM) administrations, said that in 2024, Nutrien spent US$130 million on its Trinidad and Tobago plants.
His statements follow local and international media reports that Nutrien, which has since shut down its ammonia and urea operations, is retreating from nitrogen production and is seeking to sell off overseas assets and redirect capital toward potash.
Energy Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal said then that talks with the multinational are ongoing and that he had taken note that Nutrien “is now in the process of diversifying its production base.
“They have made decisions in relation to a global market and so on, and we wish them all the best. We are still in touch with the Nutrien people concerning Trinidad and Tobago; they have still expressed a commitment to work with us…”
The Canada-based publication, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, reported that in October, Nutrien “commenced a controlled shutdown” of its Trinidad operations, which produced ammonia and urea used in nitrogen fertiliser.
While no new production is taking place at Nutrien, it is understood that work is continuing at the Point Lisas facility in Central Trinidad to maintain the plant’s basic operability, with industry sources estimating the cost to the company at approximately two million US dollars to retain staff during the shutdown.
About 400 permanent employees and an estimated 100 contractors remain attached to the operation, while approximately 350 contract workers were sent home on October 25, 2025.
“We recognise this is an uncertain time and want to assure you that we are doing everything possible to establish a clear path forward,” Thompson wrote in his internal letter.
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