Norway exported 189,000 metric tons (MT) of fisheries and aquaculture products worth NOK 8 billion (USD 1 billion, EUR 853.9 million) to overseas markets last month, with the volume and value declining by 18 percent and eight percent compared with September 2016, according to new figures published by the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC).
In the first nine months of this year, Norway exported 1.8 million MT of seafood worth NOK 69 billion (USD 8.6 billion, EUR 7.4 billion), representing an increase in volume of three percent and a rise in value of six percent or NOK 3.7 billion (USD 463.7 million, EUR 394.9 million) year-on-year.
The cod trade has been one of the Scandinavian country’s leading performers so far this year, with NSC reporting that growing volumes of the fish are being consumed in China as opposed to the traditional traffic of whole whitefish being sent to the market for filleting and re-export to Europe.
Last month’s fresh cod shipments from Norway, including fillets, increased by three percent to 1,500 MT with a value of NOK 53 million (USD 6.6 million, EUR 5.7 million) – a drop of six percent. For the first nine months of 2017, these exports totaled 60,000 MT with a value of NOK 2 billion (USD 250.6 million, EUR 213.5 million), representing year-on-year increases of eight percent and 10 percent respectively.
Norway’s frozen cod exports in September, meanwhile, amounted to 5,700 MT with a value of NOK 184 million (USD 23.1 million, EUR 19.6 million) – down 14 percent and 11 percent, respectively. So far this year, it has exported 59,000 MT of frozen cod, including fillets, valued at NOK 1.9 billion (USD 238.1 million, EUR 202.8 million), with the volume at the same level as a year ago and the value up by five percent.
NSC also highlighted that in the pelagic trade, Norway has exported 180,000 MT of herring valued at NOK 1.9 billion so far this year, representing decreases of 15 percent and 8 percent respectively. It has also exported 135,000 MT of mackerel totalling NOK 1.7 billion (USD 213 million, EUR 181.5 million), down 10 percent and seven percent respectively.
Also on a declining trend, Norway shipped 38,000 MT of shellfish with a value of NOK 1.3 billion (USD 162.9 million, EUR 138.8 million), representing declines of five percent and 11 percent respectively. These totals included 1,400 MT of red king crab worth NOK 385 million (USD 48.3 million, EUR 41.1 million), down 17 percent and five percent, respectively.
