Congress Asks Clinton
To Axe Trade Limits

WASHINGTON —(AP)— Kansas lawmakers want President Clinton to roll back trade sanctions that keep U.S. wheat and other commodities out of more than 70 foreign countries.

With farm prices at rock bottom and the harvest around the corner, Sen. Pat Roberts and Rep. Jerry Moran have sent a letter to Clinton urging him to develop trade policies that are friendlier to American farmers and ranchers.

"It's time for the administration, as well as Congress, to step forward and implement and develop a coherent trade strategy," Moran said in an interview. "We are shut out automatically of 11 percent of the world wheat market because of sanctions and export restrictions."

Things grew worse in recent weeks with Pakistan's nuclear tests and the U.S. sanctions they triggered. Pakistan is the third-ranking purchaser of U.S. wheat and leads in a particular variety of white winter wheat grown mainly in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Michigan.

Producing mainly hard red winter wheat, Kansas leads the nation in wheat production, rivaled only by North Dakota.

Roberts said the White House has been highly inconsistent in its trade policies.

"In hearings before the Senate, the administration discussed six — six — different strategies," Roberts said in a statement. "Congressman Moran and I have some advice for the president — just pick one and use it."

Food is exempt from the Pakistan sanctions required because of the nuclear testing, but the Clinton administration as of last week had not determined if that protects a credit program in which the United States guarantees bank loans to private foreign lenders for specific farm commodities.

Pakistan has about $88 million remaining from a $250 million wheat credit line under this program, known as GSM-102. With wheat prices hovering at $1 less per bushel than last year, farmers are counting on Pakistan buying an amount similar to the 2.2 million metric tons it imported from the United States in 1997.

The Republican lawmakers urged Clinton to increase credit guarantees under the GSM program from 98 percent to 100 percent for commercial loans on all commodities. They also want the administration to extend the U.S. Department of Agriculture's food aid assistance to Vietnam.

Congressional Republicans have been battling in recent months over trade and sanctions against nations accused of human rights and other violations. Moran said farm products should be viewed as humanitarian aid, which generally is not part of U.S. sanctions.

"We're talking about agricultural exports, which I consider to be humanitarian aid," Moran said. "I'm not talking about military equipment or technology. When it comes to agriculture, we're talking about food for people."

Besides, Moran said, the United States doesn't alter public policy by not selling wheat; it simply prods a nation to buy wheat from another producer.

The lawmakers also expressed concern that advisers to the administration recently rejected USDA proposals to boost farm exports, saying the White House needs to review all unilateral sanctions and assess how much they hurt U.S. businesses and workers.