Norway exported 90,700 metric tons (MT) of salmon worth NOK 5.5 billion (USD 712.3 million, EUR 590.3 million) last month, representing a 7 percent increase in both volume and value compared with August 2016.
Overall, the Scandinavian country exported 614,400 MT of salmon products with a total value of NOK 42 billion (USD 5.4 billion, EUR 4.5 billion) in the first eight months of 2017, up 1 percent and 11 percent year-on-year respectively.
The average export price for fresh whole salmon last month was NOK 57.59 (USD 7.46, EUR 6.18) per kg, down slightly from NOK 58.12 (USD 7.53, EUR 6.24) per kg in August 2016, with Poland and Denmark buying the most product.
Confirming that Norway had for the first time exceeded last year’s salmon export level, Asbjorn Warvik Rortveit, director of market insight at the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC), said it was “gratifying” to see growth that can meet some of the market’s demand for the product.
While Norway’s salmon trade has seen a modest volume increase, the same cannot be said for its trout exports. The country exported 3,700 MT of the fish last month with a value of NOK 265 million (USD 34.3 million, EUR 28.4 million), representing year-on-year declines of 38 percent and 25 percent respectively.
For the year to date, 22,200 MT of Norwegian trout worth NOK 1.8 billion (USD 233.1 million, EUR 193.2 million) has been exported, down 54 percent and 33 percent.
Japan and the United States bought the most trout from Norway in August.
Despite the slight upturn in supply, future prices of 3 to 6 kg Norwegian salmon will continue to be high over the coming months, with analysts expecting them to be at levels of around NOK 56 (USD 7.25, EUR 6.01) per kg this month, NOK 59 (USD 7.64, EUR 6.33) in October and NOK 62.50 (USD 8.10, EUR 6.71) in November.
