An end to the near eight-month exclusion of Irish beef from China remains in the hands of Chinese officials. The suspension, a result of an atypical BSE case in May, couldn't have come at a worse time for Irish exporters as Chinese imports of beef surged to record highs in 2020. Factories have now called on the Taoiseach to intervene directly with the Chinese government. It comes as Sinead McPhillips of the Department of Agriculture told a Bord Bia Meat Seminar last week that there have been ongoing intensive government, diplomatic and technical contacts since the suspension to try to resolve this issue.