Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman calls the U.S.-China agricultural agreement a "fundamental breakthrough for American agriculture."  Economically stressed farmers should be helped by the pact, he adds.

China's agreement to lift sanitary and phytosanitary restrictions on imports should "greatly expand exports...to China's vast market," says Glickman.  The restrictions have cost U.S. producers "billions of dollars in sales."

Quoting the Economic Information Daily, Reuters said the agreement "largely satisfied" U.S. terms on tariffs, non-tariff barriers, market access, agriculture and information technology.

Despite Administration officials’ boasts about the agreement’s advantages for agriculture, it was President Clinton who decided not to finalize the deal during Prime Minister Zhu Rongji’s recent visit.  Clinton delayed an agreement to gain further concessions on steel and textiles, according to press reports.

U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky said the agreement highlights "our core objectives" -- resolving trade barriers, increasing technical cooperation and scientific exchanges and further developing agriculture sectors.

"The agreement is expected to dramatically increase U.S. exports to China as well as to increase the cooperation between the U.S. and China in biotechnology, aquaculture and other technical areas of assistance," Barshefsky added.