China has opened its market for German pork under an agreement signed Monday in Beijing, after two years of negotiations, the German Agriculture Ministry said Monday (September 1, 2008).

The agreement was signed between German Deputy Agriculture Minister Gerd Mueller and Wei Chuan Zhong, the vice-minister of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, or AQSIQ.

Mueller described the agreement as a "major, important step for the German meat industry."

Germany currently exports nearly EUR6 billion worth of meat.

China offers a great growth opportunity for German pork because the world's most populous country is also the world's biggest pork producer and consumer, Mueller said, pointing to forecasts that China's growing prosperity and population will push up meat consumption by around 7 percent in the near future.