Sushi growth in US could boost demand for Norwegian salmon and trout, says NSC

Sushi has become one of the main growth areas in the US seafood market, according to new figures cited by the Norwegian Seafood Council.

The council referred to a recent report from the National Fisheries Institute’s Sushi Council which valued the US sushi market at around $22bn (€19.2bn), covering grocery retail, restaurants, catering and institutional foodservice - with restaurants accounting for the largest proportion of the market, at approximately $16bn (€14bn) of that total.

Karine Rød Haraldsson, the Norwegian Seafood Council’s envoy to the US, said the findings could be significant for Norwegian seafood exporters, particularly salmon producers.

“With insight from the new report, we can now see that the sushi category is growing faster than the rest of the seafood segment. This development is being driven by changes in eating habits, greater focus on health and growth in grocery retail,” Haraldsson said.

“This enormous growth could become decisive for Norwegian salmon in the US, which is preferred by many when they eat sushi.”

The report identifies salmon as one of the main drivers of sushi’s wider appeal among US consumers. Haraldsson said its availability, mild taste and links with health have helped make it a popular ingredient in the category.

However, Norwegian trout could also benefit from the trend, she added.

“We also see that a good alternative to Norwegian salmon, which is also an important product in the US, is Norwegian trout, or steelhead trout as it is called here. It is also very well suited to sushi, and with more focus on this product we could achieve further growth for Norwegian trout in the US.”

The NFI Sushi Council report, as described by the Norwegian Seafood Council, suggests there is further room for expansion in the US sushi market. Japanese restaurant and trading companies are said to be investing in the US through acquisitions of sushi kiosk operators, new restaurant formats, automation and robotics.

Sushi has also moved beyond its earlier image as a niche product in large cities and higher-income consumer groups. According to the report, about 45% of American consumers say they “like” or “love” sushi, with particularly strong interest among Gen Z and Millennials.

“Today, we see that 57% of all sushi restaurants in the US are within what we call the casual and fast-casual segment, while the share of fine dining has fallen markedly since the pandemic. Fast casual is the fastest-growing restaurant format for sushi. This shows us that the sushi category is growing by expanding into simpler, more accessible concepts,” Haraldsson said.

Growth has been especially strong in grocery retail, the NFI report showed. Retail sushi sales in the US passed $2.9bn (€2.5bn) in 2025, and grocery sushi is growing by 7% to 9% annually, with around 12,000 sushi counters currently in US grocery stores.

The report also highlights growth in other settings such as hospitals, universities, corporate canteens and other institutional foodservice. The catering and institutional market for sushi is estimated at $1.8bn (€1.6bn), with further room to grow, the NSC said.

However, Haraldsson warned the seafood sector should not assume that sushi’s growth will automatically translate into higher seafood sales.

“An important point in the report is that it notes that the seafood industry cannot take sushi’s growth for granted, despite the positive growth in the category. Several of the best-selling sushi pieces today contain little or no fish. To ensure that seafood remains at the core of the sushi category, further innovation is needed,” she said.

Separate consumer research cited by the Norwegian Seafood Council, the 2026 US Salmon Attribute Testing, suggests that safety is a major factor in US consumers’ interest in salmon. The council said messages related to “sushi-grade and safe to eat raw”, strict regulation and antibiotic-free production ranked highly for attention, interest and purchase intention.

“Insight from our own reports also shows that scepticism towards raw fish remains a barrier among consumers, especially in grocery retail. Clear communication and labelling around food safety are therefore crucial for further growth,” said Haraldsson.

The council also highlighted poke bowls as a related growth area for raw salmon. Poke, originally from Hawaii, has become widely available on the US mainland and often uses raw fish with rice and Asian-influenced flavours.

“I think the sushi report can also show us opportunities in the seafood market beyond the sushi segment. Poke bowls, for example, are incredibly popular, but raw salmon can still grow in this category, especially in takeaway,” said Haraldsson.