Norway and China signed agreement on import and export of food products

Seafood exportsFreshly caught fish.Photo: pixabay.com

The Minister of Fisheries, Per Sandberg, today had political talks with the Minister of Veterinary issues, Shuping Zhi. The two Ministers also signed an agreement on imports and exports of foodstuffs.

– China is Norway’s most important trading partner in Asia and there is a great potential for exporting Norwegian seafood to China. It is therefore very positive that Zhi visits Norway and that the contact between the food safety authorities is now resumed. The agreement we have signed today will strengthen bilateral cooperation in the import and export of foodstuffs, and is therefore important for the Norwegian seafood industry, says Minister of Fisheries, Per Sandberg.

China and Norway also recently agreed to resume negotiations on a free trade agreement by the end of the summer.

China is the world’s largest producer and the world’s largest seafood market. The country imports large amounts of seafood for domestic consumption and to the fish processing industry. In 2010, 152 500 metric tons of seafood were exported to China from Norway, at a total value of NOK 2.35 billion from. By 2016 this had risen to 143,000 metric tons of seafood to a value of NOK 2.75 billion.

During his stay in Bergen on Friday, the Chinese Minister received a presentation from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority on the management and supervision of Norwegian seafood production. Sandberg and Zhi also toured a fish farm and visited the Institute of Marine Research in Austevoll outside Bergen.

 

Source: Ministry of Fisheries   / Norway Today