Norway’s seafood export value increased year over year in April, defying a difficult trading environment and lower salmon prices.
According to data collected by the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC), Norway exported NOK 14.3 billion (USD 1.39 billion, EUR 1.22 billion) worth of seafood in April 2025, marking an increase of NOK 293 million (USD 28.5 million, EUR 25 million), or 2 percent, over the same period of 2024.
“Despite the turmoil in world trade, the favorable trend for Norwegian seafood exports continued. Norway has never before exported seafood for a higher value in the month of April,” NSC CEO Christian Chramer said. “The growth is due to increased export volumes and rising demand for Norwegian salmon in important markets such as the U.S. and China.”
Norway exported NOK 10 billion (USD 973 million, EUR 855 million) worth of salmon in April, accounting for 71 percent of the country’s total seafood export value and an increase of 3 percent over April 2024. The slight increase in value was largely thanks to a large increase in volume, as the country exported 106,339 metric tons (MT) of salmon in the month, marking an increase of 34 percent.
The average price for a kilogram of fresh salmon in the month was NOK 84.60 (USD 8.23, EUR 7.24), 29 percent lower than the same month of 2025.
"The growth in volume is linked to significantly higher sea temperatures compared with the same period a year ago," NSC Seafood Analyst Paul T. Aandahl said.
Chramer said the export patterns showed a shift in the flow of salmon from markets in Europe to markets in Asia and the U.S.
“Higher temperatures in the sea and fewer biological challenges meant that there was more superior quality salmon available in April than in the same month last year,” Chramer said. “This volume growth largely compensated for the falling salmon prices.”
Volume growth was also the trend for Norway’s seafood exports to the U.S. in April 2025, which increased to NOK 1.4 billion (USD 136 million, EUR 119 million), an increase of NOK 263 million (USD 25.6 million, EUR 22.5 million), or 23 percent, compared with the same month last year. For the month, the U.S. was the top market for Norwegian seafood – the fourth month in a row – despite the threat of potential U.S. tariffs.
“It is too early to conclude what effect this will have on Norwegian seafood exports, but the NSC is following this issue closely,” Chramer said.
He added that the market situation will likely be ...
