Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon today welcomed the reopening of the Chinese market for Irish beef.

This follows an announcement by the General Administration of Customs in China (GACC) regarding the reopening of access to the Chinese market for beef produced in Ireland.

Welcoming the announcement, the Taoiseach said:

"The confirmation today that the Chinese market will reopen for Irish beef is a very important and positive development in our bilateral agri-food trade with China.

"This decision, which directly follows my positive engagements in Beijing with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in recent days, reflects the confidence of the Chinese authorities in the robustness, transparency, and effectiveness of Ireland's animal health, traceability, and food safety systems.

"This reflects a culmination of intensive political, diplomatic and official engagement since the market was temporarily suspended in September 2024."

Commenting on the announcement, Minister Heydon said:

"Ireland's beef production is underpinned by comprehensive surveillance, strict regulatory oversight, and internationally recognised standards, ensuring high levels of food safety and consumer protection. 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. I'd like to thank the Chinese officials who engage positively on an ongoing basis with our Beijing Embassy and with my Department.

"During the recent agri-food Trade Mission to China in October, my colleague Minister of State Timmy Dooley had the opportunity to highlight the importance of the market re-opening with ministerial counterparts in the GACC and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA)."

Concluding, the Taoiseach said:

"I look forward to the resumption of beef exports to China and to the continued constructive cooperation with the Chinese authorities to further strengthen agri-food trade between Ireland and China in a mutually beneficial manner."