CHILE OPENS MARKET TO U.S. WHEAT  
                                            Release No. 0243.97
                                                               
                                                               
                                     Tom Amontree(202) 720-4623
                                             tamontree@usda.gov
                                     Nolan Lemon (301) 734-7280
                                          nlemon@aphis.usda.gov
                                                               
                                                               
CHILE OPENS MARKET TO U.S. WHEAT  

     WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 1997--Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today
announced that Chile will allow the importation of U.S. wheat that originates
from areas surveyed and found free of Karnal bunt. 

     "The decision to allow U.S. wheat into Chile is a tremendous trade
success," said Glickman.  "It is also another example of how this
Administration is striving to recognize and implement World Trade Organization
Sanitary and Phytosanitary principles and standards."

     Chile has agreed to accept U.S. wheat for consumption based upon
Servicio Agricola y Ganadero (SAG) officials' technical review of the Karnal
bunt program and the additional declaration attesting that wheat originated
from an area that was surveyed and found free of Karnal bunt.

     This regulatory modification will be implemented in mid-October, and SAG
reserves the right to inspect all agricultural commodities entering Chile.
Inspection of U.S. wheat for Karnal bunt will be based upon the detection of
bunted kernels.  The Karnal bunt program is the responsibility of USDA's
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, a part of the marketing and
regulatory programs mission area.

     "USDA has taken every precaution to ensure Chile is satisfied with our
measures to establish pest free zones for Karnal bunt and apple maggot," said
Michael V. Dunn, assistant secretary of marketing and regulatory programs.  

     Historically, Chile has imported several hundred thousand metric tons of
U.S. wheat each year, and it was estimated that in 1997-98 Chile would import
750,000 metric tons of U.S. wheat.

     Chile has also agreed to recognize 27 counties in California and 10
counties in Washington as free from apple maggot.  For counties not recognized
as free of the pest, SAG is requiring that the fruit be cold treated and that
the first export treatments be verified onsite by SAG technicians.

                                
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