Earlier this month it was announced that Ireland became the first European member state to obtain access to the US for its beef, following the lifting of the ban in March 2014.
Paul Finnerty, chief executive of ABP Food Group, said the achievement was a significant opportunity for Ireland’s grass-based beef industry, "and the timing appears excellent for us given the trend in the USA to grass-based hormone-free beef product".
"In anticipation of this announcement, and as Europe’s largest beef exporter, our US sales manager, Tara Maguire has been working on the ground in the US for over two years now. We have been in negotiations with a number of leading foodservice and retail players, but it is premature to comment on any deal at this stage."
Finnerty added that the opening of the market to Irish beef was of "special significance" to ABP as it initially started exporting beef to the US in the 1950s and was keen to see the links restored.