China has agreed to allow Irish pork imports again 18 months after they were banned because of the dioxin crisis.
The announcement was made today following a meeting by the Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith and his Chinese counterpart Han Changfu in Beijing.
Mr Smith said there was potential for up to €20 million in trade with China.
Irish pork was banned from China since the recall of pigmeat products in Ireland due to a dioxin scare on December 6th 2008.
Before the ban on imports was introduced, about 4,000 tonnes of pork-related products were sold in China annually, according to the Department of Agriculture.
During the course of today’s meeting, Mr Smith also pressed for the opening of the Chinese market to Irish beef and other meat products. In the case of beef, the Minister emphasised his commitment to fulfilling China’s requirements for the resumption of this trade.
"Considering the size of the Chinese market and the expected growth in consumption of meat products it is vital that Ireland is positioned to take advantage of that market," he said.
"China will in future be a critical outlet for meat offals in particular and I am anxious that the Irish meat sector be in a position to trade here on the same terms as other exporting countries,” Mr Smith added.
