2014 was a year to celebrate for Norwegian seafood exporters

For the second year in a row Norway seafood exports have set new records. Norway exported seafood worth NOK 68.8 billion in 2014. This is 12 per cent, or NOK 7.3 billion more than in 2013.

”Norwegian seafood has never enjoyed a stronger position in the world market. Despite the collapse of the Russian export market due to sanctions this year, the Norwegian seafood industry has shown it can adapt to meet the needs of new markets. The result has been record export figures for salmon, cod and mackerel”, says Terje E. Martinussen, Chief Executive of Norwegian Seafood.

The Russian import ban came into force on August 7th, which effectively capped Russian exports in 2014 to NOK 3.4 billion, a 48 per cent decrease compared to 2013.

Seafood exports to the EU increased by 16 per cent in 2014 to reach a total of NOK 43 billion. The EU represents the main market for Norwegian seafood industry. In 2014, 62 per cent of total Norwegian seafood exports were to EU countries.

Global salmon market

”No seafood nations have, during recent years, positioned themselves as well as Norwegian seafood exporters, who have jointly developed several major markets worldwide. This is the main reason why the demand for Norwegian salmon in 2014 remains robust and is able to defend its price level”, says Martinussen.

Norway exported salmon and trout for NOK 46.2 billion in 2014. The average price achieved for fresh whole salmon was NOK 41.06 per kg. This is a gain of 3.4 per cent on 2013 prices.

Cod builds and sustains communities

Norway exported codfish worth NOK 12 billion in 2014. This is a gain of 20 per cent, or NOK 2 billion on 2013, so setting a new record. The volume of Norwegian exports of groundfish is up 3 per cent on 2013.

”2014 set a new record for clipfish production, at approximately 100 000 tonnes. Clipfish, which iis entirely processed in Norway, guarantees both year-round employment and supports local businesses. For this reason, we can say that cod really is an important builder and sustainer of communities in 2014”, says Martinussen.

Norway exported clipfish worth NOK 3.7 billion in 2014. This is an increase of 19 per cent from the previous year and sets a new record for clipfish exports. Norway exported 3 per cent more by volume in 2014 than the year before.

Record year for mackerel

Mackerel exports totalled NOK 4.1 billion in 2014, an increase of NOK 1.2 billion, or 43 per cent compared with 2013. Exports of herring totalled NOK 2.7 billion in 2014, a decrease of 14 per cent, or NOK 444 million on the previous year.

Shellfish exports increase

Norway exported shrimp, crustaceans and molluscs to a combined value of NOK 1 billion in 2014. This is an increase of 23 per cent compared to 2013. In 2014, Norway exported 562 tonnes of live king crabs to South Korea. This represents an increase of 170 per cent from the 208 tonnes exported in 2013.

Our main export markets

In 2014, Norway exported seafood to approximately 143 different countries. Of these, Poland was the main export market. Norway exported seafood to a combined value of NOK 6.4 billion to Poland in 2014. Poland has become an increasingly important consumer market, but a significant proportion of the exports to Poland are for processing operations and are then exported further afield than the European market. Seafood exports to Poland increased by 12 per cent in 2014. This also makes Poland the fourth largest market in terms of growth this year for Norwegian seafood.

France is the second largest market for Norwegian seafood in 2014, with exports of NOK 5.7 billion. This represents a decline of 3 per cent compared with 2013.

The UK was our biggest growth market in 2014 with an increase of NOK 1.2 billion or 42 per cent up on the year before. Norway exported seafood worth NOK 4 billion to the UK in 2014.