As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 2, 2018

Registration No. 333-            

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

NUTRIEN LTD.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

Nutrien Ltd. Amended and Restated Stock Option and Tandem SAR Plan

Agrium 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan

Agrium U.S. Retail 401(k) Savings Plan

Agrium 401(k) Savings Plan for Union Employees at Florence, AL; Mulberry, FL & Americus, GA

(Full title of the plans)

CT Corporation System

111 8th Avenue, 13th Floor

New York, New York 10011

(Name and address of agent for service)

(212) 894-8940

(Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copies to:

Joseph A. Podwika

Executive Vice President and

Chief Legal Officer

Nutrien Ltd.

122 – 1^st Avenue South

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan,

Canada S7K 7G3

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.  ☐

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

EXPLANATORY NOTE

On January 1, 2018, pursuant to the Arrangement Agreement, dated September 11, 2016 (the “Arrangement Agreement”), between Agrium and Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (“PotashCorp”), each of Agrium and PotashCorp became an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Registrant, a parent entity formed to manage and hold the combined businesses of Agrium and PotashCorp as a result of the transactions under the plan of arrangement under the Canada Business Corporations Act (the “CBCA”), involving, among others, the Registrant, Agrium and PotashCorp (the “Arrangement”).

In connection with the Arrangement, the Stock Option / TSAR Plan was assumed by the Registrant, and stock options (each, an “Agrium Option”) to purchase Agrium Shares and tandem stock appreciation rights in respect of Agrium Shares connected to such Agrium Options granted under the Stock Option / TSAR Plan and outstanding immediately prior to the completion of the Arrangement, were assumed by the Registrant and exchanged immediately after completion of the Arrangement for stock options (each, a “Replacement Option”) to purchase Common Shares and tandem stock appreciation rights in respect of Common Shares connected to such Replacement Options, calculated on the basis set forth in the Arrangement Agreement.

This Registration Statement is filed by the Registrant for the purpose of registering an aggregate of 8,813,018 Common Shares, which includes Common Shares issuable pursuant to the Replacement Options under the Stock Option / TSAR Plan and issuable pursuant to the Retirement Plan, the Retail Plan or the Union Plan, together with an indeterminate amount of plan interests issued, offered or sold in connection therewith.

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

The documents containing the information specified in Part I will be sent or given to employees participating in any of the Plans, as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act. In accordance with the instructions to Part I of Form S-8, such documents will not be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act. These documents and the documents incorporated by reference pursuant to Item 3 of Part II of this Registration Statement, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.

Upon written or oral request, any of the documents incorporated by reference in Item 3 of Part II of this Registration Statement, which are also incorporated by reference in the Section 10(a) prospectus, other documents required to be delivered to eligible participants pursuant to Rule 428(b) under the Securities Act, or additional information about the Plans, will be available without charge by contacting the Corporate Secretary of Nutrien at Suite 500, 122 – 1st Avenue South, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7K 7G3 or by telephone (306) 933-8500.

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PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

The following documents, which have been filed with, or furnished to, the SEC by Agrium or PotashCorp, as applicable, pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), are hereby incorporated by reference in, and shall be deemed to be a part of, this Registration Statement:

All documents subsequently filed with, or furnished to, the SEC by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the date of filing or furnishing of such documents.

Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement

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to the extent that a statement contained herein (or in any other subsequently filed document which also is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein) modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Section 124 of the CBCA authorizes corporations to indemnify past and present directors, officers and certain other individuals for liabilities incurred in connection with their services as such (including costs, charges and expenses, including settlement payments) if such individual acted honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the corporation and, in the case of a criminal or administrative proceeding, if such individual had reasonable grounds for believing his or her conduct was lawful. In the case of a suit by or on behalf of the corporation, a court must approve the indemnification.

Sections 7.02 and 7.05 of By-law No. 1 of the Registrant contains the following provisions with respect to indemnification of the Registrant’s directors and officers and with respect to certain insurance maintained by the Registrant with respect to its indemnification obligations:

Section 7.02 Indemnity— Subject to the Canada Business Corporations Act, the Corporation shall indemnify a director or an officer, a former director or officer, or another individual who acts or acted at the Corporation’s request as a director or officer, or an individual acting in a similar capacity, of another entity, and their heirs and legal representatives, against all costs, charges and expenses, including an amount paid to settle an action or satisfy a judgment, reasonably incurred by the individual in respect of any civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or other proceeding in which the individual is involved because of that association with the Corporation, or other entity, if such individual (a) acted honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the Corporation, or, as the case may be, to the best interests of the other entity for which the individual acted as director or officer or in a similar capacity at the Corporation’s request; and (b) in the case of a criminal or administrative action or proceeding that is enforced by a monetary penalty, the individual had reasonable grounds for believing that the individual’s conduct was lawful.

Section 7.05 Insurance—Subject to the Canada Business Corporations Act, the Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance for the benefit of any individual referred to in section 7.02 hereof as the board may from time to time determine.

The Registrant also has agreements with each director and officer to provide indemnification to the extent permitted under the CBCA.

The Registrant carries directors’ and officers’ liability insurance covering acts and omissions of the directors and officers of the Registrant. The directors and officers are not required to pay any premium in respect of the insurance.

Not applicable.

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(a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) of this section do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Calgary, Province of Alberta, Canada, on January 2, 2018.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the trustees (or other persons who administer the employee benefits plan) have duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Calgary, Province of Alberta, Canada, on January 2, 2018.

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POWER OF ATTORNEY

Each person whose signature appears below appoints Charles V. Magro, Jochen E. Tilk or Wayne R. Brownlee, or any one of them, as such person’s true and lawful attorneys to execute in the name of each such person, and to file, any post-effective amendments to this registration statement that any of such attorneys shall deem necessary or advisable to enable the registrant to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, and any rules, regulations and requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission with respect thereto, in connection with this registration statement, which amendments may make such changes in such registration statement as any of the above-named attorneys deems appropriate, and to comply with the undertakings of the registrant made in connection with this registration statement; and each of the undersigned hereby ratifies all that any of said attorneys shall do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

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AUTHORIZED U.S. REPRESENTATIVE

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 6(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, the Authorized Representative has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, solely in its capacity as the duly authorized representative of Nutrien Ltd. in the United States, on January 2, 2018.

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Exhibit index

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