Norway has welcomed the successful conclusion of free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), which secured duty-free exports of Norwegian salmon to the Southeast Asian nation.
"The agreement will be particularly important for the seafood industry, the maritime sector, and other Norwegian export industries. Vietnam is a large and growing market, and it will help strengthen the competitiveness of Norwegian businesses," Norway Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide said in an announcement.
The pact between Vietnam and EFTA, which includes Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland, was announced 2 July 2026 following 21 rounds of negotiations.
The Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) anticipates the pact will drive a growth in exports of seafood products from Norway, mainly salmon. According to Norway’s government, seafood made up 58 percent of the NOK 6.2 billion (USD 635.9 million, EUR 556.4 million) worth of goods and services the country exported to Vietnam in 2025. Norway exported 66,000 metric tons (MT) of seafood to Vietnam last year, valued at NOK 3.2 billion (USD 328.2 million, EUR 287.2 million). Salmon led the trade flow at 21,300 MT, fueled by a 40 percent year-over-year rise in fresh salmon shipments to 7,900 MT, NSC said.
The new deal secures immediate duty-free access to Vietnam for Norwegian salmon. Vietnamese importers previously faced a 10 percent tariff on Norwegian whole fish and a 15 percent rate on fillets, placing Norway at a disadvantage against competing suppliers. Import duties on Norwegian mackerel will be phased out entirely over a three-year transitional period.
“Vietnamese have increasingly grown their [appetite, especially] for Norwegian salmon,” NSC Regional Director for Southeast Asia Åshild Nakken said in a LinkedIn post. “Increased purchasing power among a growing middle class, a rapid developing modern retail sector, and a growth in Japanese restaurants across the market has fueled Norwegian salmon popularity among Vietnamese consumers.”
