April 5, 2012

 

China may remove Irish beef veto

 

 

China could remove its sanction on Ireland's beef as early as 2013, reopening up a multi-million euro beef trade for thousands of Irish cattle farmers.

 

Incoming Chinese president Xi Jingping met with Taoiseach Enda Kenny in Beijing yesterday as part of a four-day trade mission to China.

 

Xi is preparing to send a team of scientific experts to Ireland to examine the quality of beef in the coming months.

 

China has banned all imports of EU beef since the BSE outbreak of 2000 -- and it is common practice for a nation to send a scientific team to examine the quality and safety of a country's produce when it is considering the re-opening of its borders to the industry.

 

The Chinese leader-in-waiting visited Ireland last month and a key feature of his trip was a visit to a Co Clare dairy farm.

 

Following the meeting yesterday, the Taoiseach said that Xi had discussed "the process" needed to re-open the Chinese market to Irish beef.

 

"These are long-term operations and they are based purely on scientific evidence," Kenny said.

 

"There is a process to go through here but China expressed a clear willingness to start that process by having scientific experts analyse Ireland's standards. We had this before on entry into Egypt and it's strictly on scientific evidence that this process moves forward," he added.

 

Ireland is the largest net exporter of beef in the northern hemisphere. Export markets are of fundamental importance to the country's 60,000 cattle farmers and access to the lucrative Chinese market would be a huge boost for rural Ireland.

 

Kenny said he had a "very thorough" discussion with Xi about opportunities in a number of sectors in the economy, adding that the Chinese were committed to working with Ireland in strengthening their relationship.

 

"The meeting with Vice President Xi was exceptionally friendly," Kenny said.

 

"It should be noted that this is most unusual for the vice president to extend an invitation like this and it is a mark of his respect arising from his visit to Ireland that he chose to offer this kind of meeting for the Irish delegation.

 

"He has exceptionally fond memories of the visit to Ireland," Kenny added.

 

Earlier at a business breakfast for 400 Chinese business leaders, Kenny said Ireland's economic recovery was being driven by exporting firms.

 

In an upbeat speech, Kenny said the Irish economy was growing again, public finances had been stabilised, exports were at record levels, and foreign direct investment into Ireland was booming.

 

"The business world knows that Ireland is recovering well." He added that it was of considerable importance that Irish companies tap into the enormous potential in China.

 

"Economically and politically, there has never been a better opportunity for the Irish Government to work with our Chinese counterparts to build this relationship," Kenny said. "We offer a package of talent, tax, technology and a track record that is very hard to match anywhere in the world."