The days of Ireland supplying 80% and more of Britain’s beef imports are over, leading meat sector analyst Rupert Claxton has insisted.

Greater competition from Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and Poland has eroded Ireland’s dominant position as the main supplier of imported beef to Britain.

And Ireland’s market share will remain under pressure, Claxton claimed.

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Last year Ireland exported around 216,000t of beef to Britain, a fall of 22,000t or 9% when compared to 2023. While the trade was up 25% in value terms to €1.6 bn, the tonnage of beef shipped was down.

In fact, while Ireland supplied 77% of Britain’s imported beef in 2024, this share fell to 67% last year.

And the latest figures show that Irish beef accounted for just 62% of British imports in February.

In contrast, both New Zealand and Australia have steadily increased their share of the British market since signing trade deals with the UK in 2023 which gave greater market access for tariff-free beef.

From a very low base, both New Zealand and Australia exported around 14,000t of beef, respectively, to Britain in 2025, and had around 7% market share each.

New Zealand has grown its share to 13% through the first three months of this year, while Australia has increased its market share to 8%. British imports of Brazilian beef have also strengthened in recent years.

There has been a lot of talk of New Zealand beef exports into Britain – amplified in Ireland by Dawn Meats’ purchase of a controlling stake in the Kiwi farmer-owned co-op Alliance Group – but Claxton maintained that the biggest threat to Ireland’s market share will come from Australia.

“You’ll see a bit more coming in from New Zealand. But what they lack is the right kind of supply for the market, whereas Australia has plenty of the right kind of supply,” said Claxton, who is meat and livestock director with international consultancy firm GIRA.

“The challenge for the Australians remains hormones, because their system is based on adding a hormone feed supplement in feedlots,” he explained.

Meanwhile, the sharp rise in Irish beef prices over the last 18 months, and lower available supplies, had opened the door for Ireland’s competitors on the British market, Claxton pointed out

“For the UK, as for Europe, they have to meet the European hormone-free regulation which is quite difficult to be compliant with. For the moment that’s the limiting factor on how much beef they’ve got [to export to the UK],” Claxton said.

Record exports to the US have also taken large volumes of Australian beef and curtailed its ambitions in Britain, he added.

Meanwhile, the sharp rise in Irish beef prices over the last 18 months, and lower available supplies, had opened the door for Ireland’s competitors on the British market, Claxton pointed out.

However, he insisted that Ireland was well positioned to remain the leading supplier of beef to Britain, despite the more intense competition in the market.

“Yes, the Irish position is eroded, but it doesn’t disappear overnight. Ireland is still the most convenient chilled beef supplier to Britain. It is there on the doorstep. They understand how to service UK retail,” Claxton maintained.