This is a subscriber-only article
Four sites have been initially approved to export UK beef to China, Defra has announced.
The UK lost market access to China for beef in 1996 following the BSE crisis.
In June last year, China lifted the ban on UK beef and Chinese inspectors visited factories earlier this year.
Further sites under review
In a statement, Defra said that further sites are “under review” and the first exports are expected to happen “in the next few months”.
In the Republic of Ireland, the first meat plants were approved by Chinese officials for exports in April 2018.
Defra estimates that the market could be worth £230m to the UK beef industry over the next five years.
“We look forward to seeing the first shipments of beef arrive in China and hope to replicate the success of our pork exports in the beef sector,” said AHDB international market development director Dr Phil Hadley.
SHARING OPTIONS: