Wheat Likely To Get Exemption From Ban

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., was told by the White House on Monday it is “very likely” that Northwest wheat will be exempted from the ban on exports to Pakistan, a Wyden spokesman said.

President Clinton imposed the export restrictions last week after Pakistan conducted nuclear weapons tests.

Josh Kardon said from Wyden’s Washington, D.C., office that Wyden spoke to Sandy Berger, Clinton’s national security chief, and was told there is a good chance that Northwest soft white wheat would be exempt from the ban, pending legal review of the issue.

“It’s not a done deal, but it’s pretty darn close,” Kardon said.

Pakistan is the biggest export market for soft white wheat, the type preferred in Pakistan.

In the latest fiscal year, Pakistan bought 40 percent of the United States’ export crop of soft white wheat, all of which is grown in Oregon, Washington and Idaho.