Potato exporters worry about the US withdrawing from TPP

US farmers are wondering how local growers and farmers who export their products to Asia will be affected by the decision of the new president Donald Trump to withdrew the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The Washington and Oregon Potato Growers Convention, held January 24-26, featured many speakers, including one D.C. insider who shed light on what it might mean for the potato industry moving forward, according to NBC news. The National Potato Council’s executive vice president and CEO John Keeling tell the crowd that the effect of the TPP will be felt in the future, rather than the present. He added that there were aspects of the partnership that would have helped the potato industry, specifically when exporting to countries like Vietnam and Japan, where he says fast food chains like McDonald’s and KFC are constantly growing which increases demand for potatoes. Keeling says the TPP would have reduced tariffs in participating countries from 10-12% down to zero over five years. More