Donald Trump has ordered top economic advisers to examine whether the US should rejoin the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact, according to Republican senators. 

During a meeting with governors and lawmakers from farm states at the White House on Thursday, the president instructed Larry Kudlow, the new head of the National Economic Council, and Robert Lighthizer, US trade representative, to look at whether the US should rejoin the Obama-era agreement. Mr Trump withdrew the US in one of his first acts in office.

Senator Pat Roberts, the Kansas republican who chairs the Senate agriculture committee, told reporters after the meeting that Mr Trump wanted “to see if we couldn’t take another look at TPP”, a move that would be greeted as “good news all throughout farm country”.