U.S. Wheat Growers Praise China Wheat Purchase

March 1, 2000

U.S. wheat producers reacted favorably to China’s first purchase of wheat from the Pacific Northwest in more than 20 years, expressing hope the 50,000 purchase would be the first of many. But in a Senate hearing yesterday, Sen. Slade Gorton (R-WA) said the sale to China didn’t offset losses in sales to Pakistan, traditionally the prime market for U.S. soft white wheat.

China has long refused to buy from Pacific Northwest ports because of its fear of a fungus called TCK. A centerpiece of last year’s U.S.-China trade agreement was a promise to begin buying wheat, but until now the Chinese had not actually made any purchases.

The Senate Agriculture Committee today will consider China’s bid to join the World Trade Organization. The United States will have to extend Normal Trade Relations to China on a permanent basis in order to enjoy the benefits of liberalized trade with the world’s largest nation, Administration officials say. But it is unclear when or if Congress will vote on the trade pact.