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Micheál Martin pictured with Chinese President Xi Zinping last week. Alamy Stock Photo
where's the beef
China just lifted their ban on Irish beef following Micheál Martin's visit
The market had been closed since September 2024 after a case of mad cow disease was discovered in Ireland.
IRISH BEEF EXPORTS to China are set to resume just days after Taoiseach Micheál Martin raised the issue directly with Chinese leaders during an official visit to Beijing last week.
The market had been closed since September 2024 after the discovery of an atypical case of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, commonly known as mad cow disease) in a cow in Ireland, triggering an automatic suspension under China’s trade rules.
Efforts to lift the ban have been ongoing since then.
China has been a major market for Irish meat – more than €125 million in meat products were exported to China in 2023.
Confirming the reopening this morning, Martin described the move as “a very important and positive development” for bilateral agri-food trade, adding that the move by the Chinese government reflected confidence in Ireland’s food safety.
The Taoiseach had visited China last week and pressed for the Chinese market to be reopened for Irish beef products.
He also met with China’s President Xi Jinping and Zhao Leji, chairman of China’s National People’s Congress.
“This reflects a culmination of intensive political, diplomatic and official engagement since the market was temporarily suspended in September 2024,” Martin said.
“I look forward to the resumption of beef exports to China and to the continued constructive co-operation with the Chinese authorities to further strengthen agri-food trade between Ireland and China in a mutually beneficial manner,” he added.
Agriculture minister Martin Heydon said Ireland’s beef production involved “comprehensive surveillance, strict regulatory oversight, and internationally recognised standards”.
“The reopening of the Chinese market further underlines the strength of these systems and Ireland’s long-standing commitment to safe, sustainable, and high-quality agri-food production,” he said.
“I’d like to thank the Chinese officials who engage positively on an ongoing basis with our Beijing embassy and with my department.
Additional reporting from Andrew Walsh
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