According to news from SeafoodMedia on April 21, the Irish Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) confirmed that the renewal registration approval process for Irish seafood export enterprises to China has been successfully completed.

Last year, the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) introduced new requirements for the registration system, marking a major change in the way Irish exporters manage export registration for trade with China.

Irish Fisheries has been in close contact with China to ensure that the transition to the new system is as smooth as possible, which includes the transfer of all merchant registrations for exports to China to the new GACC online portal.

There are currently 36 Irish seafood exporters registered online, with their registrations valid until 2028.

In February last year, Irish crab exporters were unable to export to China, partly because the Irish Trade Bureau was giving priority to allowing Irish beef to re-enter the Chinese market, but the SFPA stated in a statement to the media that it would continue to communicate with China on whether Irish brown crabs meet Chinese regulatory standards.