Norway’s salmon exports to China have jumped so far in 2025, but experts predict Norway’s market share will come under increased pressure as the year goes on.
So far in 2025, Norway has exported 6,937 metric tons (MT) of fresh whole salmon to China, a 56 percent increase in volume terms compared to the same period last year, according to data from the Norwegian Seafood Council.
“I suppose the growth driver is both underlying market growth and that Norwegian salmon has taken market shares,” NSC China Director Sigmund Bjorgo told SeafoodSource.
Prior to this growth, Bjorgo said Norway actually lost market share in 2023 due to biological challenges in the country, which resulted in smaller volumes of larger-sized salmon. Typically, the Chinese market prefers larger-sized fish, and lower supplies meant lower exports.
“The biology and supply situation in Norway is now much better," Bjorgo said. "As for the underlying market growth, Q4 2024 had almost 30 percent market growth. My hypothesis is that this growth has continued into the beginning of 2025, including the Chinese New Year.”
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