The U.S. tobacco industry, led by Philip Morris International wanted to be treated like any other industry for the purpose of challenging other TPP countries’ efforts to regulate its products. The industry lost that fight and that didn’t sit well with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, America’s second largest tobacco-growing state.
 
The largest is North Carolina. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, said he would vote against the TPP if this “tobacco carve-out” were included. He said he thought he could turn about a dozen other votes against the deal for that reason alone.

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