OSLO: Norway has returned to the top of whole, fresh Atlantic salmon exporting countries to China, after a significant improvement in market access over the past few months.
And with free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations continuing apace, zero tariffs would see the country gain even greater market share for salmon, as well cod, red fish, Greenland halibut, mackerel, shrimp and several other species sought after by Chinese consumers.
China and Norway resumed FTA negotiations with China in August last year, and followed up with a new round of negotiations in December. The next negotiation meeting is scheduled for May. Current Chinese import duties on fresh salmon are 10%.
It amounts to a 1,613% increase on imports in January of 2017, when China imported just 112t of Norwegian product.
“Since November last year, China has gradually imported more Norwegian salmon,” Bjorgo said. “Volumes started picking up in early November, and gradually increased over the next months.”
As of week eight of this year, Norway had exported 2,820t of fresh salmon to China, according to Norwegian data; at the same time last year Norway had exported just 291t in the period.
Salmon is getting into markets in Beijing and Guangzhou, whereas before these markets were off-limits.
“The industry reports shorter quarantine time, and salmon is now also imported to Beijing and Guangzhou,” he said. Quarantine time in Shanghai is somewhat longer, though, he noted.
After Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo was awarded a Nobel peace prize in 2010, China imposed long quarantine times for Norwegian salmon exports on veterinary health grounds causing salmon to lose freshness and become unmarketable. Finally, the situation has changed.
