According to figures from Statistics Norway and the Norwegian Seafood Export Council (NSEC) there is an increase of 22 percent or NOK 623 million compared to September 2007. Egil Ove Sundheim, director of market information with the Norwegian Seafood Export Council, informed that this year to date, exports of seafood from Norway total over NOK 26.1 billion.
He further said that the exports of seafood in this period have exceeded the export value for the same period in 2007, which was a record-setting year, by NOK 714 million . Generally speaking, seafood is a product category that tends to do well at times of economic downturn and at the present time there is good demand for Norwegian seafood in both established and new markets.
It is said that the rise in September is attributable to an increase in price for Norwegian Salmon, an increase in the volume of cod and an increase in both price and volume for sei, herring, mackerel and Norwegian Fjord Trout. NSEC figures show that a price increase of almost NOK 2 for Norwegian Salmon and Norwegian Fjord Trout resulted in growth in exports of NOK 93 million in September, despite a slight reduction in volume. France and Poland were the biggest importers of Norwegian Salmon. Norwegian Fjord Trout showed an increase in both price and volume.
It is revealed that the exports of clipfish increased by 42% or NOK 142 million in September. Overall, exports of clipfish showed an increase in both price and volume. The price of cod clipfish fell slightly, but a strong increase in volume resulted in an increase in value of 34 percent or NOK 60 million. Sei clipfish increased in both price and volume. The price increased by NOK 3 per kilo, while volume was up by 38 percent or 1 500 tonnes. Portugal and Brazil are the biggest importers of clipfish from Norway.
