European meat exporters taking part in an EU trade mission to China this week said they were looking to follow Ireland's lead in obtaining access to the country's 1.4bn person customer market. From Dutch poultry to Polish beef, industry representatives highlighted how gruelling the Chinese approval process can be. “We haven’t been as lucky as the Irish,” a German delegate said. Ireland is currently the only EU country allowed to export beef to China.

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Yet other major European exporters are lining up for a Chinese green light this year. The race for second place is pitting the Netherlands against France.

“President Macron came here in January and raised it with the Chinese president,” Marc Feunteun, export manager for the major French meat processor SVA Jean Rozé, told the Irish Farmers Journal.

“They agreed to have French beef in China by 14 July,” he added, meaning all inspections must be completed and a veterinary certificate obtained before France’s Bastille Bay. SVA already exports pork to China and hopes to build on its customer base through beef, especially offal. However, if French exports are restricted to frozen muscle beef like Ireland’s, this would put the two countries in competition for China’s high-end market.

“Restaurants are asking for European veal,” according to Henny Swinkels, director of corporate affairs with Dutch veal processor Van Drie. The Netherlands is awaiting its final round of Chinese inspections in the coming weeks.

Poland

Poland is planning to take advantage of its geographical position to use Chinese trains that export goods to Europe to send its beef to the Asian country. The 14-day journey would be “perfect to age chilled cuts,” said Jerzy Wierzbicki, president of the Polish Beef Association. A Polish ministerial visit to China is planned this for later year, with hopes for market access in 2019.