ENSENADA, Baja Calif. – At the end of October, Mexico’s government began exporting pork to Singapore with an initial shipment of 22 tons. Mexico's agriculture department said in a statement the operation "confirms the advance in the marketing of meat products of Mexican origin with countries in Asia," international news agency EFE reported. The pork was shipped on a cargo vessel setting sail from Ensenada, Baja California.

Thanks to this initial shipment, Singapore joins other Asian countries such as South Korea, China and Japan, "whose health authorities have already recognized the health status and the levels of harmlessness they achieve with Mexican products," the statement said.

Several advances were made this year by the Mexican pork industry regarding Asian countries. Jalisco was incorporated to the group of Mexican states authorized to sell their products to Japan after being deemed free of classic swine fever. Permission was also granted by Chinese authorities to four Mexican meat processing plants to export pork.