As of 1st January, the European Union has approved twelve tariff-free import quotas for seafood from Norway and eight for Iceland.
These quotas provide increased export opportunities for products from both the fisheries and aquaculture sectors.
‘The EU is the most important market for Norwegian seafood, and the duty-free quotas provide more opportunities for one of our most important export industries. It is particularly positive that market access is improved for processed products,’ commented Norway’s Minister of Fisheries and the Oceans Marianne Sivertsen Næss.
The time-consuming negotiation process and established procedures for approving the agreement has resulted in delays to the implementation of these import quota arrangements. The agreed quota volume, which covers the period from 1st May 2021 until the quotas are opened on 1st January, will be distributed over the remaining agreement period until 30th April 2028.
‘The EU is our most important market and these new import quotas provide access for a great many more products than before,’ said Iceland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Thorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, commenting that the arrangement provides exporters with a great deal more flexibility and opportunities are there to fully utilise the quotas.
‘This is a positive step and I hope there will be more steps in the direction of greater freedom in terms of quotas, for both imports and exports,’ she said.
