Ireland welcomes China's decision to lift ban on beef imports

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny on Saturday welcomed China's decision to lift its ban on Irish beef imports, saying that the news is highly significant for the Irish beef industry.

Describing it as a fantastic breakthrough for the sector, Kenny said it meant Ireland would be the only country of the European Union (EU) to be approved for both the U.S. and Chinese markets.

"While China has formally lifted its ban on Irish beef, the next step will require a Chinese veterinary inspection to approve individual processing plants for export," he said.

In January this year, Ireland secured access to the U.S. beef market, becoming the first EU member state to achieve this feat.

Beef from the EU has been banned from China and the United States since the mad cow disease epidemic that hit Europe more than 15 years ago.

The China ban on Irish beef was formally lifted on Feb. 11, 2015 when China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) agreed to import Ireland's deboned beef, derived from animals aged under 30 months.