McDonald's (MCD) has been forced to ration its french fries in Japan due to a severe shortage of imported U.S. potatoes.
Medium and large fry orders won't be available until at least early next year, forcing Japanese customers to cope with tiny bags of fries until then.
"We will temporarily change our product lineup...until a stable supply of potatoes is in sight," the company said.
Value meal prices have been cut accordingly, potentially hurting sales from an Asian division that has struggled in recent quarters.
The shortage of spuds is being blamed on shipping delays caused by labor problems on the U.S. West Coast.
Japan's domestic potato crop can't keep up with the demand for the McDonald's fries, the gold standard among fast-food sides.
An emergency airlift with more than 1,000 tons of potatoes and a 1,600 ton shipment from U.S. eastern ports could not prevent McDonald's from taking action.
The news comes at a particularly tough time for the fast food giant, as global sales dropped 2.2 percent in November.
The company is losing U.S. customers developing a broader palate and a meat scandal in China continues to hamper its performance in the world's fastest growing major economy.
Comparable sales in the Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa or APMEA region decreased 4.0 percent in November, compared to the prior year's decline of 2.3 percent.
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