China banned imports of Irish beef in September 2024 after an 'atypical' case of so-called mad cow disease was discovered in Ireland. China has agreed to lift its ban on Irish beef, following the visit by Taoiseach Micheál Martin last week. The Chinese authorities closed their huge market to Irish beef in September 2024 after an “atypical” case of so-called mad cow disease was discovered in Ireland. The news was welcomed in a joint statement from Mr Martin and Mr Heydon on Monday morning. “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,” Mr Martin said.

Source: The Irish Times January 12, 2026 10:40 UTC