John Whelan: Irish exporters are losing out in China

Despite the return to rapid growth, Irelands exporters to China are facing a sudden lack of interest in their offerings.

Many exporters believe Ireland may be part of collateral damage from the rising trade tension between the US and China and could lead to a re-assessment of Ireland’s positioning as an outpost for US multinationals supplying into Asia. File Picture: AP

The China market moved into full throttle so far this year and retail sales grew fastest, buoyed by a recovery in consumption after Beijing abandoned strict covid restrictions at the end of 2022.

Growth is expected to be boosted further with a record-breaking 320,000 business executives from 40 countries, jostling their way around the Canton Fair, expect to close deals for 2023 to make up for the lost sales during the covid years.