There is no indication of any technical or scientific basis for the continued suspension of Irish beef exports to China, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has said.
And Ireland now has a “negligible risk” status for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), the DAFM has also confirmed.
It was the discovery of an atypical case of BSE in a dead cow in Ireland in May 2020 that led to the ban on Irish beef exports to China.
The DAFM’s comments come on the back of recent news that China has lifted its ban on Brazilian beef imports, three months after two cases of atypical BSE were detected.
The DAFM has reiterated that the resumption of Irish beef exports to China remains a “high priority objective”.
Yesterday (Wednesday, December 15), Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, wrote to his counterpart, the Minister for the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), again requesting an immediate lifting of the suspension of Irish beef in accordance with the agreed protocol governing the beef trade.
“Significant efforts to reopen the market have been made through official, technical, diplomatic and political channels over the last 19 months, and there is ongoing contact with the Chinese authorities on the matter,” according to the DAFM.
The matter has been raised at the highest political levels including by the Taoiseach with the Chinese premier; by the Minister for Foreign Affairs with his counterpart; and by Minister McConalogue with his counterpart on numerous occasions.
“Minister McConalogue and Minister of State at the DAFM, Martin Heydon, who has specific responsibility for new market development, will continue to utilise every available option for dialogue with the Chinese authorities, in collaboration with the Embassy of Ireland in Beijing, to press the case for a restoration of beef access as a matter of urgency.
“However, it must be recognised that the timing of the decision to resume trade remains a matter for the Chinese authorities.”