MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Good news for British farmers: China lifts ban on beef from the UK
The announcement comes after Theresa May's trade mission to China earlier this year, when President Xi signaled that a lifting of the beef ban would happen soon China has ended a two-decades-long ban on exports of beef from the UK, first introduced after the outbreak of BSE - or “mad cow disease” - in the 1990s. The government said the development will be worth £250m to British producers over the next five years.
It comes after years of site inspections and negotiations between UK and Chinese government officials. It now allows official market access negotiations to begin, a process which usually takes around three years.
The announcement comes after Prime Minister Theresa May's trade mission to China earlier this year, during which President Xi Jinping signaled that a lifting of the beef ban would be happen soon.
Chancellor Philip Hammond, who is visiting China this week, tweeted: “This is great news for British farmers.”
The UK currently sells more than £560m of food and drink from the farming sector a year to China, making it the eighth-biggest export market for such products.
“Today's milestone will help to unlock UK agriculture's full potential and is a major step to forging new trading relationships around the globe,” said a Department for Environment statement.
The announcement comes two days after China signed a deal to lift a ban on French beef imposed more than a decade ago.
Top Comments
Disclaimer & comment rules-
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Read all commentsIt's all about quality not quantity Chronic...
Jun 30th, 2018 - 12:01 am +2Most folk are partial to a bit of Aberdeen Angus...
Even me and I usually avoid red meat like the plague...
Meanwhile back in the real world, New Zealand is a similar size to the UK and is the fifth largest beef exporter in the world, Uruguay is smaller and comes in at number 8, and is famous for its beef.
Jun 28th, 2018 - 06:31 pm +1Were you born this stupid Chronic, or do you have to work at it?
No pasture in the UK?
Jul 01st, 2018 - 07:16 am +1Why are Americans so ignorant.... and angry?
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