Norway's seafood exports hit record in 2025, China emerges as top three market

Norway's seafood exports reached a record 2.8 million tonnes valued at 181.5 billion Norwegian kroner ($18.03 billion) in 2025, representing a 4 percent year-on-year increase, with China becoming Norway's top three seafood export markets, according to the Norwegian Seafood Council.

"The year of 2025 was a demanding year for seafood, with lower quotas and catches at record prices for all our most important wild-caught species," Christian Chramer, CEO of the Norwegian Seafood Council said, adding that 2025 was also characterized by strong volume growth for salmon.

Norwegian seafood exports to China surged to 178,246 tonnes, valued at about 12.3 billion NOK. China was also among the largest growth markets for Norwegian seafood in 2025, with export value increasing by 2.9 billion NOK year-on-year, up 30.9 percent.

Norwegian salmon exports to China nearly doubled to 90,906 tonnes in 2025, with export value reaching 8.109 billion NOK, representing a growth of 59 percent. China also became Norway's largest export market for Norwegian coldwater prawns, with volumes soaring 244 percent to 8,392 tonnes.

"Looking back on the past year, we are pleased to see Norwegian seafood continuing to earn the trust of the Chinese market, achieving another record-high overall performance," Sigmund Bj?rgo, China director of the Norwegian Seafood Council, said.

"China has always been one of the most important export markets for Norwegian seafood," he added. "We will continue to increase our investment in the Chinese market and work closely with industry partners to bring a wider range of high-quality Norwegian seafood products to Chinese consumers."