Chinese market reopens for livestock hides and skins from Ireland
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon has announced that Ireland can export livestock hides and skins to China again.
There had been a temporary pause in trade because of the recent outbreak of bluetongue in Co Wexford.
However according to Minister Heydon the Chinese market for livestock hides has now reopened.
In 2025 an estimated 42,000 tons of hides and skins were exported from Ireland to China.
"This is an important and valuable market for Irish industry, and I know that the temporary pause in trade which had followed the detection of bluetongue in Co Wexford had been a major cause for concern.
"I want to acknowledge and thank our Chinese counterparts for their engagement on this matter, and also the officials in Ireland and in our embassy in Beijing who have been working hard on this issue," the minister said.
According to Minister Heydon he is "actively engaging" on the trade issues which have arisen as a result of bluetongue.
Bluetongue and Ireland
While the bluetongue virus has no public health or food safety impact, its recent detection in Ireland has resulted in a number of "trade disruptions" according to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Bluetongue was first detected in Ireland this year on January 23, in a cattle herd in Co. Wexford.
Since then, the virus had been identified in three more herds in Co. Wexford.
Movement of cattle throughout the Republic of Ireland has not been affected by the confirmation of bluetongue in Co. Wexford.
A DAFM spokesperson said that movement of livestock within Ireland from farm to farm and from farm to slaughter, including those through marts, can continue.
However the movement of cattle to and from Northern Ireland has been impacted.
In relation to the trade of meat and dairy products, there are no implications for exports to the EU, UK or to most of Ireland's international markets.
