Beef Imports.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 November 2004

Wednesday, 17 November 2004

Questions (80)

Denis Naughten

Question:

116 Mr. Naughten asked the Taoiseach the amount of imported beef from outside the EU in each of the past five years; the countries of origin and the tonnage involved in each case; the tonnage of each category subsequently exported from the State in each year concerned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28858/04]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach (Mr. Kitt)

The table below shows the tonnage of beef imported from non-EU countries for the period 1999 to 2003 — 2003 is the latest year for which complete data is available. This data is broken down by beef category and country of origin. By using "country of origin", Ireland, therefore, appears to import from itself because of beef which was exported being subsequently re-imported. Data is not available to answer the latter part of the Deputy's question as the concept of "country of origin" does not apply to exports and consequently external trade statistics does not identify exports of goods previously imported.

Beef imports from Non-EU Countries.

	Country of Origin	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
		Tonnes
Overall total		1,611	2,600	9,559	5.123	5.648
of which main categories are:
Frozen beef	Brazil	924	1,541	2,133	2,168	3,122
boneless	Egypt			*3,722
	Uruguay	237	138	115	631	13
	Ireland	25	45	238
	Saudi Arabia			287
	Namibia				188
	Argentina	14			126	27
	Indonesia			163
	New Zealand	121
	United States					50
	Philippines			26	9
	Thailand					24
	Iceland			11
	Australia					10
	Bangladesh			1
	Nicaragua			1
Total		1,321	1,724	6,697	3,122	3,246
Fresh or chilled beef	Brazil	158	233	369	1,047	1,589
boneless	Egypt			*164
	Ireland	3	—	101	20	5
	Uruguay		98
	Argentina				41	11
	Saudi Arabia			45
	Bahrain			24
	United States			3	7
	Syria					10
	Australia	5
Total		166	331	706	1,108	1,622
Fresh or chilled beef	United States			15	—
carcasses and half carcasses	Kenya	6
	Ireland		2
Total		6	2	15	—
Other bovine meat	Brazil	31	393	819	702	557
prepared or preserved	Ireland	62	80	832	96	107
	Argentina	22		58	56	56
	Japan			102
	United States					17
	Bosnia & Herzegovina				2
	Romania					1
Total		115	473	1,811	856	738
Edible offal of bovine animals, frozen	Japan			273
	Ireland		69	3
	Brazil			13		26
	Uruguay				34
	South Africa			24
	Saudi Arabia			8
	Egypt			*5
Total			69	326	34	26
Edible offal of bovine animals, fresh or chilled	Ireland					16
	Norway				3
	New Zealand		1	—
Total			1		3	16
Other bovine meat	Syria	3	—	—	—
salted, in brine,
dried or smoked
Total		3	—	—	—	—
Frozen beef	Ireland			2
other cuts with bone in, frozen
Total		—	—	2	—	—

*CSO has reason to believe that these figures are attributable to consignments of beef exported to Egypt during 2000 and later reimported into Ireland as a result of the existing embargo on all beef imports from EU countries into Egypt.