SEAFOODNEWS.COM by Michael Ramsingh – January 11, 2017

Marine Harvest said it will resume shipping salmon to the Chinese market this year now that political tensions between Norway and China have eased.

The announcement was made by Marine Harvest’s Chief Executive Alf Helge Aarskog. He said the company expects to resume shipments to the market sometime in the first or second quarter.

“It’s a market with great potential, so we have high hopes for China,” Aarskog said.

In mid December, diplomatic relations between Norway and China were normalized when the two countries signed a joint statement in Beijing. This eased tensions between the countries that dated back to 2010 when Norway gave a Nobel Prize to a Chinese dissident.

China responded by sanctioning Norwegian exports, including salmon. As a result, huge amounts of Norwegian salmon flowed into China via third parties, such as Vietnam.

But given the agreement signed in December and Marine Harvest’s decision to resume shipments, it’s possible for China’s market share for Norwegian salmon increase in 2017.