Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 12, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleChina has lifted its ban on Irish beef imports, a significant boost for Ireland's agriculture sector and bilateral trade relations.
DUBLIN, Jan 12 (Reuters) - China has reopened its market to Irish beef imports, dropping a 2024 suspension that followed the discovery of a case of mad cow disease, Ireland's prime minister, Micheál Martin, said on Monday.
"The confirmation today that the Chinese market will reopen for Irish beef is a very important and positive development in our bilateral agrifood trade with China," Martin said in a statement after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping on a visit to China last week.
A Chinese customs database showed that China resumed imports from Irish beef exporters on Monday.
Martin, the first Irish Taoiseach to visit Beijing in 14 years, had pressed China to restore access for Irish beef products and raised issues related to China's new dairy tariffs during his trip.
Ireland exports the bulk of its output from the beef and dairy industries, which are major employers in the country. It is among Europe's largest exporters of dairy products, shipping about 6 billion euros ($7 billion) of goods annually.
Ties between Beijing and Brussels have been strained since the EU imposed levies on Chinese electric vehicle imports in 2024, prompting Chinese retaliation including tariffs on EU dairy and pork products.
China last month imposed an import quota on beef from suppliers including Brazil, Australia and the U.S. to protect its domestic cattle industry.
($1 = 0.8565 euros)
(Writing by Conor Humphries in Dublin and Ethan Wang in BeijingEditing by Sarah YoungEditing by David Goodman)
Dairy tariffs are taxes imposed on imported dairy products, which can affect the pricing and availability of these goods in the importing country.
Agricultural exports are crucial for a country's economy as they contribute to trade balance, create jobs, and support local farmers by providing access to international markets.
Trade policies can significantly affect agricultural sectors by determining market access, pricing, and competitiveness of local products in international markets.
Explore more articles in the Finance category
