Mexico is taking steps to protect itself from the oil price remaining below $70 a barrel in the clearest sign yet of the concerns of producer countries at the impact of the global economic slowdown on their revenues.

The world's sixth biggest oil producer hedged almost all of next's year oil exports at prices ranging from $70 to $100 at a cost of about $1.5bn (£961m) through derivatives contracts, according to bankers familiar with the deal.