Not only will the United Kingdom continue to be one of Norway’s most important seafood markets once the Brexit process is complete, but exporters will seek opportunities to grow the trade, Ambassador of Norway to the United Kingdom Wegger Christian Strømmen said at the Norwegian UK Seafood Summit 2020, held in London this week.
The Larvik-born diplomat said the Norwegian government had been in close dialogue with British government and members of parliament from the moment it was announced that the United Kingdom would be leaving the European Union.
There have been many meetings with “our British partners” already, and these will continue throughout this year, he said.
“It’s no secret that Britain’s exit from the E.U. creates a challenging situation. Our main priority has been and still is to ensure stable conditions for seafood trade, with as little disturbance as possible,” Strømmen said. “The U.K. will leave the European Union on 31 January and the transition period starting 1 February will run until the end of the year. During that transition period, the conditions for seafood trade between our countries will continue as they are today. With an orderly withdrawal from the E.U., we hope to avoid any delay to our seafood trade at the border.”
Strømmen is also “confident” that Norway’s new fisheries and seafood minister, announced this month as Geir Inge Sivertsen, will make the United Kingdom one of his main priorities.
“Norway is ready to start negotiations – as soon as the U.K. has left the E.U. and is ready to talk,” he said. “We believe the British market is ready for even more seafood in the future. That is why we are doing our best to continue our strong ties and cooperation with the U.K.”
Brexit, he added, will eventually be resolved, but the relationship between the two countries will last into the future.
“There will come a time after Brexit,” he said. “Britain and Norway have a long and common history. We have traded with each other ever since the Vikings sailed across the North Sea with vessels full of stockfish to get clothes and other goods in return.”
Today, the United Kingdom is Norway’s largest trading partner, and the fifth-largest market for Norwegian seafood, Strømmen acknowledged. In 2019, Norwegian seafood exports to the U.K. market totaled GBP 572 million (USD 744.4 million, EUR 676.5 million). Measured in volume terms, these exports amounted to 159,000 metric tons (MT) – an all-time high.
“As long as we stand firm together, the relationship between our two countries will grow,” he said. “Together, we will develop the seafood industry and make sure that the people here in Britain and the rest of the world can eat more healthy seafood from Norway.”
The ambassador also highlighted some of Norway’s and the United Kingdom’s other common aspirations.
“We want to ensure healthy [living]. We must reduce carbon emissions and ensure the highest environmental standards in industrial production,” he said. “We are committed to using natural resources sustainably. We want to create jobs and ensure economic growth in rural areas all over Britain and Norway. Seafood is part of the solution to all of these things.”
Photo by Jason Holland/SeafoodSource
