Exports of live cattle into Northern Ireland look set to soar post-Brexit.

The UK is expected to define its rules of origin so that Irish cattle and pigs slaughtered in the North can be sold in the British market without any tariffs – even if no trade deal is reached between the EU and UK.

This is because the process of slaughtering and deboning is considered to add enough value to the product within the UK, to effectively make it a UK-origin product.

Clarity is awaited on the position of Irish or EU beef entering the Northern Irish supply chai

In a no-deal scenario, Irish beef entering the UK would be liable for tariffs of up to €750m annually but beef from Irish cattle slaughtered in Northern Ireland would avoid this.

Slaughter capacity in the North would put a limit on cattle numbers. The fact that a large proportion of the processing capacity in Northern Ireland is now owned by Irish meat processors may add a further complication.

Clarity is awaited on the position of Irish or EU beef entering the Northern Irish supply chain.

There is some concern about Northern Ireland becoming a route to the British market for all EU beef, not just Irish.