Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is a matter of opening as many markets as possible and improving, where possible, the terms and conditions under which trade is done. Hence the removal of the 30-month age restriction in the Japanese market is significant. Much has been rightly said about the UK market and the volume of Irish beef exported to the UK, which amounts to more than 50% of our total produce. It is our ambition to have a future trading relationship that is as close as possible to the current one in a post-Brexit scenario but that all remains to be seen in the context of those negotiations. The UK is our most valuable market. While we open up many other markets and there is potential through CETA and in Japan and Mexico, the market we can access most cheaply and which pays the best price has consistently been the UK, followed by other markets in the European Union.

We will visit China in the next month and meet Chinese officials to approve additional plants with a view to facilitating future trade. Opening up new markets is a constant endeavour.

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