Ms Espinosa said: "We have received the formal document certifying companies that can export pork to China from Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi."

Despite the approval, the Chinese authorities still require two certificates, so the arrival of Mexican pork will take at least three to six months, Mexican diplomatic sources said.

In addition, Mexico is also seeking to export to China other products such as meat and poultry, and fruits like lemon, mango and avocado.

Maya Gabriel Padilla, head of the Mexican business delegation of 40 members visited four cities in China in November last year, then considered the approval granted by the Chinese government to Mexico to export as the most important factor for this exchange.

Subsequently, Mexico organized a huge dinner tasting of some of the products it intends to place on tables in China, including pork, in Beijing.

"Pork prices in China are significantly higher than international market prices," said Li Guoxiang, a researcher at the Institute of Rural Development Academy of Social Sciences of China. "For countries with excessive production of pork, this is an excellent business opportunity," he added.

Guohui Yong, an analyst at Beijing Orient Agribusiness, said that the consumption of pork abroad fell because of the economic crisis, while the shortage of meat in China has meant that foreign companies increase their exports to the country.

China has just opened the doors of its economy, and Mexican businesses immediately detected an opportunity.