Norway has announced record seafood export sales for the previous year, attributed to increased salmon volumes and elevated prices for wild-caught species.
Data from the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) reveals that the country exported 2.8 million tonnes of seafood, totaling Nkr181.5bn ($17.9bn), marking a 4% increase from 2024.
Salmon was the largest contributor to these exports, with 1,414,909 tonnes shipped, valued at Nkr124.7bn—an increase of 2% compared to 2024. Norway’s key markets include Poland, the US, and China, with the US accounting for 9% of total exports, its highest share since 1989.
However, this strong trade occurred amidst challenges, including tariff hikes instituted in April and August, raising US duties on Norwegian seafood to 15% or more across the board. Although exports to the US surged by 55% in the first quarter relative to the same timeframe in 2024, they experienced a slight decline of 1% in the fourth quarter.
Christian Chramer, CEO of the NSC, stated, “The USA’s new tariffs created a lot of noise and turmoil for Norwegian seafood exports. From being a market with record growth and an almost insatiable appetite for salmon and crab from Norway in the first half of 2025, US trade throughout the year was characterised by tariffs, a weaker dollar, and weaker development.”
Despite these challenges, Chramer remains optimistic: “The USA is by far the world’s largest market for salmon consumption and has been one of our largest growth markets over time, also in 2025. It is very important for Norwegian seafood, and the potential for further growth remains high.”
In terms of regional performance, Europe retains its status as Norway’s largest market. Notably, Poland has been the largest individual market in Europe for 12 consecutive years, although Europe’s share of export sales in value terms declined from 67% to 63%.
China emerged as a standout, demonstrating the highest value growth for Norwegian seafood last year. In value terms, exports to China rose 59% to Nkr12.3bn, propelling it from sixth place in 2024 to third in 2025. Salmon exports to China were particularly robust, valued at Nkr8.1bn from 90,906 tonnes—an impressive 99% year-on-year increase.
Chramer remarked, “Norway has never exported more seafood to China, measured in value, than last year. Growth was particularly strong for salmon, prawns, redfish, and Greenland halibut.”
Trout farmers also performed solidly, with Norway exporting 86,903 tonnes of trout valued at Nkr7.4bn in 2025, reflecting a 16% increase in volume and a 10% increase in value. Meanwhile, fresh cod exports reached 36,704 tonnes, a 9% decline in volume but an 11% increase in value to Nkr2.8bn.
Fresh farmed cod exports totaled 15,493 tonnes, rising 30% in volume and 50% in value, accounting for 38% of all fresh cod exports. In contrast, frozen cod exports decreased by 22% in volume to 37,462 tonnes, while value climbed 5% to Nkr3.2bn.
Vietnam made headlines with a significant 38% increase in value. Eivind Hestvik Brækkan, seafood analyst at the NSC, explained, “The main reason for Vietnam’s strong performance in 2025 is the US tariffs against China. Periods of very high tariffs on imports from China contributed to Vietnam becoming a more competitive processing market for the Americans.”
Additionally, the report highlights record high export value for snow crab. Norway exported 7,610 tonnes of snow crab in 2025, up 19% in volume and reaching an export value of Nkr1.6bn, which represents a remarkable 127% increase. Prawn exports totaled 31,842 tonnes, valued at Nkr1.8bn, although volume experienced a 7% decline while value increased by 12%.
