April 15, 2020

Breaking trend, Norwegian salmon exports declined week before Easter

Norway's salmon exports usually increase in the week before Easter, but that's not the case this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) reported that the country's exports of fresh whole salmon decreased 15% in the week before Easter (week 14 in 2020) compared with last year (week 15 in 2019).

"There is usually an increase in salmon exports the week before Easter. This year we see a decrease of 13 percent in round weight, compared to week 15 in 2019. Norway exported 17,024 tonnes of fresh whole salmon in week 14. This is a decrease of 15 percent compared to week 15 in 2019," said Paul Aandahl, seafood analyst at the NSC.

The NSC said there is still considerable uncertainty around future demand and logistics globally as a result of the novel coronavirus disease pandemic. However, the NSC is seeing tendencies toward gradual normalisation in Asian countries such as China and South Korea.

Aandahl said that for the first time since the corona outbreak, exports to China have surpassed the corresponding week in 2019. In week 14, exports of fresh whole salmon to China increased by 32% to 572 tonnes. There was also growth in South Korea (4%) and Taiwan (2%).

Elsewhere in Asia, there was a decrease in the export of fresh whole salmon to Thailand (75%) and Malaysia (69%). "The reason for the decline in Thailand is largely due to reduced demand from the tourism industry, while the decline in Malaysia is largely related to the loss of air freight capacity", Aandahl said.

Overall there was a decrease of about 7% in the exports of fresh whole salmon to Asia in week 14, while exports of fresh whole salmon to the EU market increased by 1% to 14,235 tonnes in week 14.

Exports of fresh whole salmon to the US in week 14 declined by an enormous 72%, and this is due to reduced demand from the restaurant market and a sharp reduction in transport capacity from week 12, the NSC said.