Farmed seafood generated NOK 9.96 billion in February, up NOK 348 million year-on-year, accounting for 72 per cent of total exports Norway exported seafood worth NOK 13.8 billion in February,…

Farmed seafood generated NOK 9.96 billion in February, up NOK 348 million year-on-year, accounting for 72 per cent of total exports

Norway exported seafood worth NOK 13.8 billion in February, down 2 per cent year-on-year, as lower wild catches and currency shifts weighed on overall performance, according to the Norwegian Seafood Council.

For the first two months of the year, total seafood exports reached NOK 28.5 billion, a decline of 2.7 per cent compared with the same period last year. CEO Christian Chramer said reduced quotas for shellfish and wild-caught fish, combined with global trade disruptions and a stronger Norwegian krone, made the start of 2026 more demanding.

Aquaculture exports helped cushion the decline. Farmed seafood generated NOK 9.96 billion in February, up NOK 348 million year-on-year, accounting for 72 per cent of total exports. Salmon remained the top driver, with 97,463 tonnes exported worth NOK 9.4 billion, a 5 per cent rise in value and 10 per cent growth in volume. Poland, China and France were the largest salmon markets, with shipments to China surging 107 per cent in value, boosted by strong demand around the Chinese New Year.

In contrast, exports to the United States fell sharply. Seafood shipments to the US totalled NOK 1 billion in February, down 36 per cent, with fresh salmon fillets seeing the steepest drop amid tariff uncertainty and currency pressures.

Wild-caught species faced steeper challenges. Fresh cod export volumes fell 15 per cent to 4,006 tonnes, marking the lowest February landings in over a decade. Frozen cod exports plunged 66 per cent in volume, while clipfish exports dropped 37 per cent.

Pelagic species showed mixed results. Herring exports jumped 40 per cent in value to NOK 703 million on strong catches, particularly to Egypt. However, mackerel exports fell 31 per cent in value as landings declined sharply.

Despite headwinds, Europe remained stable at NOK 8.6 billion in exports, helping offset weaker US demand.