Nation lifts ban on salmon imports from Norway

The repeal of restrictions on Norwegian salmon imports is in line with the government’s vow to expand agricultural imports, and might push down salmon prices in the domestic market, industry insiders said on Sunday.

According to domestic news site thepaper.com on Saturday, China lifted the ban on some salmon imports from Norway effective from last Tuesday, a Norwegian official said.

The news was confirmed by Sigmund Bjorgo, the director of Norwegian Seafood Council for the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, who said it is “big news” for Norway, the report noted.

“The move shows China is continuously realizing its commitment to expanding agricultural imports. Less than two weeks before, China lifted the ban on beef imports from France, and now it’s salmon from Norway,” said Ma Wenfeng, a senior analyst at Beijing Orient Agribusiness Consultancy, adding that there would be more foreign agricultural products coming to the country soon.

“China shows the world with real actions that its vow will not be shaken by unstable international trade relations,” Ma noted.

Since 2015, China halted imports of whole salmon from Norway’s northern counties of Sor-Trondelag, Troms and Nordland due to its worries that viruses carried by them could threaten its fish farming industry.

The three locations account for almost half of total Norwegian salmon production, which amounts to about 500,000 tons of salmon per year, according to a report by Norwaytoday. com on Friday.

Before the ban in 2014, chilled salmon imported from Norway in China accounted for 32.14 percent of the total number, ranking first, thepaper.com reported.

Zhang Xueguan, sales manager of Beijing-based Xiangyangguan Seafood Company, told the Global Times on Sunday that his company would of course consider importing more salmon from Norway due to their reasonable price and high quality.

“Before, we tended to import from other countries, especially Chile, which have sold well in China in past years. So their shares might be squeezed,” Zhang noted, adding that the move might also lead to a drop in salmon prices due to fierce competition.

Sigmund Bjorgo expected that exports of Norwegian salmon to China in the second half of 2018 will be three times that in the first half of the year, reaching about 21,000 metric tons, the report said.

Zhang noted that although Norwegian salmon had a good reputation among Chinese customers, it doesn’t mean salmon from the country would necessarily retake its crown as “top seller” after the lifting of the ban.