OSLO, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Norway's seafood exports reached a record high in April despite global trade uncertainty and falling salmon prices, supported by strong demand in key markets such as China and the United States, the Norwegian Seafood Council said on Tuesday.
Seafood exports totaled 14.3 billion Norwegian kroner (1.33 billion U.S. dollars) in April, up 2 percent from the same month last year, marking the highest export value for April on record.
"Norway has never before exported seafood for a higher value in the month of April," said Christian Chramer, CEO of the Norwegian Seafood Council. "The growth is due to increased export volumes and rising demand for Norwegian salmon in important markets such as the United States and China."
Exports to China rose 14 percent year-on-year to 913.8 million Norwegian kroner in April, which Chramer attributed to strong underlying growth in the Chinese salmon market and competitive pricing of Norwegian salmon.
"We are now seeing a shift in the flow of salmon from Europe to overseas markets such as Asia and the United States," Chramer said, adding that warmer sea temperatures and fewer biological challenges contributed to a higher volume of superior-quality salmon, offsetting falling prices.
The United States continued to lead in value growth for the fourth consecutive month. Exports to the U.S. reached 1.4 billion Norwegian kroner in April, an increase of 23 percent compared with the same period last year.
"April was characterized by a lot of noise and uncertainty related to the introduction of increased tariffs to the United States," Chramer noted. "It is too early to conclude what effect this will have on Norwegian seafood exports."
From January to April, Norway's seafood exports reached 58.5 billion Norwegian kroner, up 7.3 percent compared to the same period in 2024, according to the council. (1 Norwegian krone = 0.096 U.S. dollar)
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