With the grain sales exempted, however, Senators acknowledged that the largest and most painful penalty had been removed.

In the fiscal year 1974, a period when grain sales were booming to meet overseas demand, Cargill reported a $432 million profit.

The Soviet President had held up an agreement on long-term grain sales to get the trade pact in his pocket.

President Bush said on Thursday that he did not want to cut grain sales to China despite the domestic turmoil there.

Trade deals with Russia, grain sales at a loss to us; he gives them what they want.

Whether it will raise domestic food prices - as overseas grain sales did in the 1970's - is not clear.

He urged a cutoff of grain sales to help their system collapse.

Wheat finished strong despite doubt over the Bush Administration's position on continuing subsidized grain sales to foreign countries.

Foreign grain sales have often been controversial.

And grain sales to the Soviet Union could be disrupted.