British beef is bound for China, following a series of inspections by Chinese officials, in a deal worth an estimated £230m over the next five years.
Market access for UK beef exporters was secured for the end of 2019 in a UK-China beef protocol signed by farm minister Robert Goodwill and the Chinese ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaming, and comes following more than 20years after the Chinese government imposed a ban on UK imports of beef in 1996, as a result of BSE.
"The announcement is fantastic news for our meat processors who are set to benefit massively from the opportunities this agreement presents," said Dr Phil Hadley, international market development director at AHDB.
"It comes after many years spent working tirelessly to reopen access for our beef exports and it's a real testament to the work of the government and other industry bodies to make this happen.
"We look forward to seeing the first shipments leave the UK bound for China in the near future."
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