In information released to Aontú, Senator Sarah O’Reilly has discovered that just 584 tonnes of Irish beef were exported to the Chinese market during its brief reopening earlier this year. Considering 474,000 tonnes of beef were exported in 2025 this is just a drop in the pond.
The market, which had been suspended since September 2024 following an atypical BSE case, was reopened on 12 January 2026 during the Taoiseach’s visit to China but closed again on 27 January 2026, a window of just over two weeks.
At the time, the Taoiseach’s visit and the reopening of the Chinese market were presented as a major boost for Irish beef farmers. However, many viewed the timing as a distraction from the EU Mercosur trade negotiations, which continue to raise serious concerns within the agricultural sector. While the reopening initially offered reassurance, the market was swiftly closed again after cases of bluetongue were detected in Irish cattle herds. Bluetongue is spread by midges, is not contagious in the conventional sense, and poses no risk to human health or food safety, though it can impact trade with countries outside the EU.
Irish farmers had looked to the Chinese market as an important outlet to offset the anticipated pressures of Mercosur, which would allow increased imports of cheaper beef into the Irish market. Its abrupt closure after such a short reopening period has added further uncertainty.
Senator O’Reilly has stated,
“The reopening of the Chinese market was a welcome development, but its sudden closure after just two weeks shows how fragile these export opportunities really are. Farmers need stability, not short-term announcements that don’t deliver in practice.”
“The timing of this reopening raises real questions. Many farmers felt it was used to take attention away from the serious threats posed by Mercosur. If that’s the case, then it’s deeply unfair on those working in the sector. So was the beef export trade deal with China a decoy duck?”
Earlier this year when Aontú reps lobbied against the Mercosur agreement in Strasbourg, it became clear that many MEPs had not been adequately engaged by the Irish Government on the potential consequences for Irish farmers.
“Bluetongue poses no risk to human health or food safety, yet it has been enough to shut down this market overnight. We need to see urgent and sustained engagement with Chinese authorities to get this market reopened as quickly as possible.”
“I have submitted follow-up questions to the Minister seeking clarity on what concrete steps are being taken to reopen the Chinese market and to support Irish beef farmers.”
