Russia’s Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance has started allowing Chinese pork imports into the country, head of the authority Sergei Dankvert said Wednesday.

“We will be ready to open access to companies today in the evening or tomorrow during daytime. It will primarily cover two companies with experience of pork supplies to Russia,” he said.

Brazilian pork producers raised their prices amid soaring Russian demand soon after the country imposed a ban on imports of food, including pork, from western countries, several importers polled by ITAR-TASS have said. Imports from China could make Brazil scale back the price rise, they said.

Dankvert earlier said that he hopes Beijing will reciprocate by allowing Russia to supply milk.