China is coming to Norway to assess salmon imports

salmon exports seafoodSalmon.Photo: pixabay.com

China‘s veterinary authorities will come to Norway after Easter to consider reopening of Norwegian salmon imports.

The Ministry of Industry and Fisheries that Minister for Fisheries, Per Sandberg, and Minister for the Chinese food safety authority will meet in Oslo over Easter. Last week representatives from Norway and Chinese food safety authorities met in Beijing, Dagens Næringsliv confirms.

– Hopefully, a lot of challenges regarding market access in China to be resolved before the summer. Our work is to restore the confidence in Norwegian salmon, fisheries envoy representing the Norwegian Sea food concil (Sjømatsrådet) in China, Sigmund Bjørgo said.

Before 2010, Norway had a 90 per cent market share of imports of fresh salmon to China. Today, the figure is down to one and three percent. A report says that salmon exports now can rise to between NOK two and three billion a year, a tenfold increase from the current levels.

– The demand is enormous. It is about facilitating exports to China so they may take place without delay, Sandberg says.

Norwegian Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende and Minister of Industry, Monica Mæland are on an official visit to China this week. The visit comes after relations between Norway and China were normalized in December of last year.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today