In 2018, Norway has exported 2.7 million tons of seafood, with export value reaching a new record of NOK 99 billion. This means that compared with 2017, Norwegian seafood exports increased by 4% in volume and 5% in value, or NOK 4.6 billion. This is equivalent to 37 million servings of Norwegian seafood being eaten around the world every day in 2018, or 25,700 servings of Norwegian seafood being consumed every minute.

Although Norway’s seafood exports in 2018 did not reach the expected 100 billion mark, the 99 billion figure is already the highest record for the country’s seafood exports. It’s certainly been a good year for Norwegian seafood exports.

The international political situation in 2018 was volatile. Brexit, the threat of trade war and other challenges have simultaneously increased the uncertainty of the global seafood market. However, Norway has benefited from reduced competition and a favorable currency situation for the euro, with Norwegian seafood exports to the EU market increasing.

In the past 10 years, Norwegian seafood exports have increased by 156%. The relationship between the country’s aquaculture and marine capture fisheries has changed little since 2017, with aquaculture exports still dominating.

Norway exported 1.1 million tons of aquaculture products in 2018, worth NOK 71 billion. Compared with 2017, export volume increased by 5%, and export value increased by NOK 3.4 billion, an increase of 5%.

In 2018, the output value of Norwegian marine fisheries accounted for 28%, and the output accounted for 59.5%. Among them, 1.6 million tons of fish and shellfish were exported, with a total value of NOK 28 billion. Compared with 2017, the export volume increased by 2%, and the export value increased by 4%, or NOK 1.2 billion.

The Norwegian Minister of Fisheries said that the value of seafood exports has increased by 60% in the past five years, and the export volume has increased by nearly 10%. In order to further develop the industry, our goal is the continued growth of the fishery industry.

In 2018, exports of salmon, cod, pollock and king crab hit record highs. A new trend is emerging in which Norwegian seafood is often imported to another country for processing and then distributed to its final consumer market. Paul Andal, seafood analyst at the Norwegian Seafood Association, said that typical transit or processing markets for Norwegian seafood are Poland, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Salmon

Salmon (Atlantic salmon) accounts for the largest share of all export species, both in terms of export volume and value. Norway exported 1.1 million tons of salmon in 2018, worth NOK 67.8 billion. Compared with 2017, its sales volume increased by 5%, and exports increased by 3.2 billion NOK, an increase of 5%.

The EU market’s demand for Norwegian salmon has increased significantly. Last year, Norway’s salmon exports to the EU accounted for more than 73%, higher than 71% in 2017. Among them, Poland was the largest growth market in 2018, with exports increasing from NOK 1.1 billion to NOK 8.8 billion.

Trout

Cod

For marine wild capture fisheries, cod is the most valuable species. Norway exported 197,000 tons of cod in 2018, worth NOK 9.4 billion. The export volume fell by 9% compared with 2017, and the export value increased by NOK 322 million, an increase of 4%.

In 2018, Norway’s entire whitefish export value broke records. Cod exports increased by 4% in value due to higher prices, while pollock exports were recorded mainly due to higher volumes. Ingrid Kristine Pettersen, seafood analyst at the Norwegian Seafood Council, said the EU was the most important whitefish market, accounting for 64% of Norway's total whitefish exports.

Due to the increase in cod prices, many links in the industry chain have benefited greatly. In 2018, the price of fresh cod increased by 8%. In addition, the quota was reduced in 2018, but its fishery and by-products remained the same as in 2017.

Mackerel

Mackerel is the second most fished species. Norway exported 255,000 tonnes of mackerel in 2018, worth NOK 3.8 billion. This means that compared with 2017, the export volume fell by 24% and the export value fell by NOK 300 million, a decrease of 7%.

The sharp increase in mackerel prices at the end of 2018 follows the Quota Committee's forecast in the autumn that mackerel quotas will fall significantly in 2019, with more mackerel being exported to Japan.

Herring

The price of herring decreased in 2018. Norway exported 292,000 tonnes of herring in 2018, worth NOK 2.6 billion. The export volume was the same as in 2017, and the export value decreased by NOK 173 million year-on-year, a decrease of 6%.

Pollack

Pollack is the second largest species of white fish.

In 2018, Norway exported 106,000 tons worth NOK 2.1 billion. Compared with 2017, export volume increased by 27% and export value increased by NOK 106 million, an increase of 12%.

Haddock

Haddock is the third most important species of white fish. Norway exported 62,000 tonnes of haddock in 2018, worth NOK 1.7 billion. In terms of volume, the decline was 18%, while exports remained at 2017 levels.

Shrimp

Norway exported 10,700 tons of shrimp in 2018, worth NOK 831 million. Total exports increased by 17%, while total exports increased by NOK 134 million or 19% since 2017.

King crab

Norway has exported 2,000 tons of king crab worth NOK 579 million in 2018. The total export volume increased by 8% year-on-year, and the total export volume increased by NOK 74 million year-on-year, an increase of 15%.

Exports of processed seafood products are good

In terms of export volume, simple head-and-dirty cod raw materials and dried cod both set export records in 2018. Price increases for some cod and haddock products have been very high in 2018. Norway exported 29,000 tonnes of salted fish worth NOK 1.4 billion in 2018, a 3% increase in export volume, while the export value increased by 13% to NOK 169 million.

The proportion of herring processed for export is increasing. In 2018, 45% of Norway’s herring exports were processed and 55% were unprocessed. In 2017, 42% of Norwegian herring was processed.

Exports of dried cod are also growing, with Norway exporting 5,200 tons of dried cod in 2018 at a price of NOK 749 million. This represents a 12% increase compared to 2017, with the value increasing by NOK 76 million, an increase of 11%.

For processed seafood, only 28% of products are processed in Norway, and the proportion of Norwegian seafood processed in Norway has declined over time. In 2010, pelagic and aquaculture exports accounted for 67% of unprocessed fish. In 2018, the proportion of unprocessed fish increased to 72%. The high proportion of unprocessed fish shows the balance between price, quantity and variety of Norwegian seafood exports, and also shows its huge industrial potential. More employment opportunities will be created through the effective use of seafood processing leftovers.