According to a joint US-China statement issued by the US Department of Commerce, the first point in a 100-day plan to improve economic co-operation between the two countries is to begin effective exports of US beef to China in the coming weeks.

"Following one more round of technical consultations between the United States and China, China is to allow imports of US beef on conditions consistent with international food safety and animal health standards and consistent with the 1999 Agricultural Cooperation Agreement, beginning as soon as possible but no later than July 16, 2017," the statement reads.

In exchange, the US agrees to "resolve outstanding issues for the import of China-origin cooked poultry" by the same deadline.

The 100-day plan also covers the lifting of barriers to commodity futures trading, biotechnology exports and financial services across the Pacific.

BSE ban

China formally lifted its BSE ban on US beef last year, but this has yet to translate into meaningful trade.

Ireland is in a similar situation, with the Chinese BSE ban lifted for the past two years but still no factories approved for export there. On a visit to Ireland last month, Chinese minister for food safety Zhi Shuping signed a protocol on frozen beef with Agriculture Minister Michael Creed, confirming that Chinese health inspections must take place at Irish factories before they are allowed to export.

The race continues for access to China's beef import market – the second-largest in the world with 825,000t last year.

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