Portugal expects to reach an agreement to export pork and pork products to China by the end of this year, said Portuguese Secretary of State for Food and Agri-food Research, Nuno Vieira e Brito.

He made the remarks to Portuguese news agency Lusa in Macao, during his eight-day visit to China.

The negotiations on the topic are “advanced” and Portugal expects to “have a positive response from the Chinese government” this year, Mr Vieira e Brito said.

He explained that both sides have had negotiations on the export of Portuguese pork products, including ham and sausages, since 2013.

Mr Vieira e Brito said both sides are also in talks to expand exports of other Portuguese food products to China. “Regarding exports of fruits, the first case that we will address will be citrus, including oranges [and] lemons,” said the government official, adding that a deal could also be closed by the end of the year.

Official data show that Chinese imports from Portugal increased by 18.8 percent year-on-year to US$1.66 billion in 2014.