The Taoiseach says Ireland will vote against the Mercosur trade deal.

EU member states are due to decide on Friday whether or not to accept the deal, which would remove certain trade barriers between Europe and the South American countries of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Farmers here are against the deal, warning it will bring low quality beef products into the country.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said although huge progress has been made in relation to the deal, he still doesn't have confidence that Irish farmers won't be under pressure if it goes through.

Speaking in China, Mr Martin told reporters that Ireland will be voting 'no'.

"We have to be confident that the standards that we have set now that have been, and the obligations placed on Irish and European farmers are not undermined, by a food production system, systems that are not as carbon efficient and that don't have the same stringent standards.

"So in the round, acknowledging the progress that has been made in terms of the safeguards, both the market safeguards and the pesticide issue, there's still a lot more work to be done on caps, although some progress has been made, as I acknowledged yesterday.

"But in terms of that basic issue around the obligations and standards of the Irish farmers or senses, we don't have confidence that they won't be undercut by that.

"So the Government will be voting no."