Grilled salmon, a popular rendition of the most valuable species, and Norwegian seafood exports' engine.
Photo: Norwegian Seafood Council.
"In a half-year marked by turbulence and uncertainty, it is especially gratifying to see that exports of Norwegian seafood not only remain robust but are actually growing." Thus commented Marianne Sivertsen Næss, Norway's Minister for Fisheries and Oceans Policy, on the results of Norwegian seafood exports in the first half of 2025, which, setting a new record, increased by 6% - NOK 4.6 billion - compared to the same period last year.
According to the Norwegian Seafood Council's June and H1 2025 report on Norwegian seafood exports, the first half of this year has been the best ever. In total, Norway exported 1.3 million tons of seafood, setting an export value record of NOK 85.2 billion. To get an idea of what this means, the marketing communications organization explained that this equates to a volume of 36 million meals per day.
"This underscores the industry's ability to supply sustainable, high-quality seafood that people all over the world demand. I will continue the important work of ensuring favourable framework conditions for the export of Norwegian seafood," Minister Sivertsen Næss added.
The CEO of the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC), Christian Chramer, expressed himself along the same lines. "The first half of the year shows that Norwegian seafood exports are strong, even in the face of demanding market conditions and increasing trade barriers," he said.
Proof of this is that, amid the uncertainty caused by the U.S. tariffs, the largest market for Norwegian seafood exports during the first six months of the year was precisely the United States, even though the trend that began in January and February was reversed in June, with a 10% drop in value.
The North American country recorded the highest growth in the value of these exports, with an increase of 38% - NOK 2,394 million up - compared to H1 2024. The volume of exports to the United States, meanwhile, stood at 66,299 tons, 29% more than in the first half of last year.
"The fact that we are seeing growth in the value of exports to key markets such as the USA, China and the UK confirms the high level of confidence in Norwegian seafood products," the NSC's CEO explained. "This emphasises the robustness of the value chain and the value of effective market access and the seafood companies' long-term efforts in prioritised markets," Christian Chramer added.
Following the United States, the second and third places in the list of the largest markets for Norwegian seafood exports in the first half of 2025 were occupied by Poland and China. From January to June, Norway exported seafood products to a total of 151 countries, 10 more than in the first half of last year.
The NSC's June and H1 2025 report also explained that of this total value of NOK 85.2 billion, aquaculture accounted for 73% of total seafood exports, while fisheries accounted for 27%. Volume, however, is split 50/50 between the two sectors.
In terms of value, aquaculture exports in the first half of the year reached NOK 61.9 billion, this is an increase of NOK 2.4 billion, or 4%, compared with 2024, while the value of fisheries exports was NOK 22.7 billion, which, compared with the same period last year, was an increase of NOK 2.2 billion, or 11%.
As for the volume, in the first half of the year, Norway exported 0.7 million tons of seafood products from aquaculture and the same amount of seafood products from fisheries. However, while for aquaculture this figure represented a growth in volume of 22.7%, for fisheries it was a fall of 9.2%.
"Our export engine, Norwegian salmon, has increased by 3 per cent in value, measured against last year, thereby boosting the value for the first half of the year. In addition, trout exports have grown strongly, along with far more valuable mackerel, herring and snow crab exports than in the same period last year," Chramer summarized.
Therefore, as the CEO of the Norwegian Seafood Council explained, it was the strong growth in the value of key species that set the tone for seafood exports during the first half of the year. And, as he also pointed out, salmon was once again its "export engine."
In the first half of the year, Norway exported 609,946 tons of salmon for a value of NOK 57.8 billion. This meant a growth in volume of 22%, and an increase in value of NOK 1.6 billion, or 3%, compared with H1 2024.
Poland, the U.S., and France were the largest markets, and, although it did not enter the top 3, China recorded the highest growth in value in H1 2025, with an increase in export value of NOK 1,494 million, or 62%, compared to the same period last year, continuing the trend we saw in March, April, and May.
"The growth trend to China continued in June. China was once again the largest growth market for Norwegian salmon this month, with an increase of NOK 321 million, or 84 per cent. This growth can be seen in the context of a strong increase in demand in China," explained NSC's seafood analyst Paul T. Aandahl.
Thus, so far this year, China is Norway's sixth-largest salmon market in terms of value, after Poland, the U.S., France, Spain, and the Netherlands. In the case of Poland, it maintained its first place despite zero growth in value compared to the first half of last year.
"Inventory reductions in the first four months of the year characterised direct exports in these months, but a strong May and June meant that the value is now at the same level as last year," Aandahl said in this regard.
In his review of key species for Norwegian seafood exports, Chramer continued mentioning trout. Norway exported 39,505 tons of trout worth NOK 3.5 billion in the first half of the year, compared to the same period in 2024. This was an increase of NOK 579 million, or 20%, in value, and a growth in volume of 34%.
Ukraine, the U.S., and Thailand were the largest markets for Norwegian trout in H1 2025; however, it was Poland which had the highest value growth, with an increase in export value of NOK 154 million, or 150%, compared with the first half of last year.
"The export volume to Poland ended at 3,239 tons, which is 157 per cent higher than in the first half of last year. The trout is largely processed for export," said Paul Aandahl. "So far this year, the biggest growth from Poland is fresh fillets for the German market," he added.
In his review of key species in exports in the first half of the year, the NSC CEO continued with mackerel. In the first half of 2025, Norway exported 73,662 tons of mackerel worth NOK 2.3 billion. Compared to the same period last year, this represents an increase of NOK 829 million, or 56% in value, and a volume growth of 15%. South Korea and Vietnam were the largest markets.
Chramer then turned to herring. Norway exported 99,546 tons of herring worth NOK 2 billion in the first half of the year. The value increased by NOK 273 million, or 16%, compared to the first half of last year, while the volume decreased by 1%. Poland, Egypt, and Germany were the main markets for herring in the first half of 2025.
Particularly important in these results were exports of frozen whole herring NVG, which increased by 89% to NOK 388 million. Seafood analyst Paul T. Aandahl explained that "the fall in the price of fishmeal and fish oil has resulted in a lower price for residual raw materials from fillet production, making it more favourable to export whole frozen herring."
Finally, the last key species mentioned by the NSC's CEO was snow crab. Driven by significantly higher export prices than last year, snow crab exports reached record levels in H1 2025. Demand was particularly strong in the first quarter, with low stocks of snow crab in the U.S., before Canada started its season and the introduction of 10% tariffs to Norway and zero tariffs to Canada.
Thus, Norway exported 6,348 tons of snow crab, an 1% more, with a value of NOK 1.4 billion, an increase of NOK 711 million, or 100% compared to H1 2024. The U.S., Denmark and Japan were the largest markets.
It is striking that, among these key species, Christian Chramer did not include cod, which, with NOK 6.8 billion, still ranks second among the seafood species with the highest export value in Norway. This is probably because, compared to last year, its value did not increase at all. The figure illustrated in the Norwegian Seafood Council's report for June and the first half of 2025 was "-0%".
"The reduction in quotas for wild cod has characterised exports of the fresh cod category this year, and it is not surprising that export volumes fell," NSC's seafood analyst Eivind Hestvik Brækkan explained. However, he added that the first half of the year has also been characterised by higher export prices for fresh cod, as well as a continued increase in the export volume of fresh farmed cod. "Exports of fresh farmed cod have never been higher in the first half of the year, and the proportion of farmed cod is also at a record high," Brækkan said.
Norway exported 22,669 tons of fresh cod with a value of NOK 1.8 billion in the first half of the year. This meant that, compared to the first half of last year, volume fell by 20%, while the value fell by NOK 13 million, or 1%. Denmark, the Netherlands and Latvia were the largest markets.
For fresh wild cod, export volumes fell by 34% to 14,554 tons, while export value fell by 13% to NOK 1.2 billion. For fresh farmed cod, the export volume increased by 26% to 8,114 tons, while the export value increased by 47% to NOK 544 million. In H1 2025, farmed cod accounted for 31% of the export value of fresh cod.
As for frozen cod, in the first half of 2025, Norway exported 21,569 tons worth NOK 1.8 billion. So, the volume fell by 35%, and the value fell by NOK 190 million, or 10% compared with the first half of last year. The UK, China and Vietnam were the largest markets. If last month we reported that 46% of Norwegian frozen cod exports were destined for the United Kingdom, the trend is now confirmed as half-year figures showed the strength of the Norwegian-British seafood trade.
So explained seafood analyst Eivind Hestvik Brækkan. "Exports of frozen cod have also been affected by the reduction in quotas. The UK is once again our largest market, with a smaller decline in export volume than other markets," he said, adding that the United Kingdom, "once again show that they still want their fish and chips."
Looking only at the figures for June, Norwegian seafood exports ended with a value amounting to NOK 13.2 billion, which was an increase of NOK 1 billion, or 9%, from the same month last year.
By species, the result was as follows:
Salmon: Norway exported 110,000 tons worth NOK 9.2 billion in June, an increase in volume of 19%, while the value increased a 5%, by NOK 428 million.
Trout: Norway exported 6,800 tons of trout with a value of NOK 549 million, so the value increased by NOK 54 million, or 11%, compared with June last year. This is a growth in volume of 9%
Cod: In June, Norway exported 1,800 tons of fresh cod worth NOK 130 million, so volume fell by 19%, as value fell by 7% or NOK 10 million, compared to the same month last year. As for frozen cod, 21,569 tons worth NOK 1.8 billion were exported in the first half of the year, meaning that the value fell by NOK 190 million, or 10%, and volume fell by 35%.
Herring: 14,600 tons of Norwegian herring worth NOK 314 million were exported in June, which is an increase in volume of 57%, and an increase in value of 60%, or NOK 117 million, compared with June last year.
Mackerel: Last month, Norway exported 4,500 tons of mackerel worth NOK 150 million. This means that volume fell by 16%, as value increased by 15%, NOK 19 million up.
King crab: Norway exported 202 tons of king crab in June, worth NOK 92 million. The value increased by NOK 43 million, or 87%, while volume grew by 133%.
Snow crab: In June 2025, Norway exported 466 tons of snow crab worth NOK 83 million, which is an increase in volume of 663%, and a value increase of 941%, NOK 75 million more than in June last year.
Prawns: Norway exported 4,600 tons of prawns with a value of NOK 225 million in June. Compared with the same month last year, this is an increase in volume of 23%, while the value increased by NOK 62 million, or 38%.
