The overall value of exported fresh or chilled salmon grew by an average 23.1% for all exporting countries since 2018 when worldwide shipments of salmon were valued at $14.1 billion.
Year over year, total exports of salmon increased by 12.4% compared to $15.3 billion in 2021.
The 5 major exporters of fresh or chilled salmon are Norway, Sweden, Chile, United Kingdom and Canada. Combined, that leading quintet of exporters provided 84% of international sales of salmon during 2022.
Among continents, European countries sold the highest dollar worth of exported fresh or chilled salmon during 2022 with shipments valued at $14.9 billion or 86.6% of the global total. In second place were Latin American exporters at 6.1% including the Caribbean. Another 5.2% of international salmon sales originated from North America.
Smaller percentages came from exporters in Oceania (2%) mostly Australia, Asia (0.1%), then Africa (0.001%).
There are 2 major categories of fresh or chilled salmon exports, namely:
- Atlantic or Danube salmon: $17 billion (98.9% of global total); and
- Pacific salmon: $189.2 million (1.1%)
Shifting focus to salmon imports, the 5 leading buyers of fresh or chilled salmon on global markets are Sweden, Poland, United States of America, France and Denmark. That cohort of main buyers of salmon on international markets consumed well over half (55.1%) of imported salmon during 2022.
The top 5 import countries’ percentage is much more concentrated for exporter countries compared to major importer nations. This is partly because there are approximately twice as many importing countries, islands and territories as opposed to exporting entities. Specifically, there are more than 134 importers compared to roughly 60 exporters.
For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 030214 for exported and imported fresh or chilled Atlantic and Danube salmon. The code prefix for fresh or chilled Pacific salmon is 030213.
In addition, presented near the bottom of this article are key statistics for exports and imports for prepared or preserved salmon whether whole or in pieces. The HTS code is 160411 for these forms of processed salmon.
Top Fresh or Chilled Salmon Exports by Country
Below are the top 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of fresh or chilled salmon during 2022.
- Norway: US$8.2 billion (47.6% of total exported salmon)
- Sweden: $3.8 billion (22%)
- Chile: $1 billion (6.1%)
- Canada: $722.3 million (4.2%)
- United Kingdom: $715.7 million (4.2%)
- Denmark: $566.1 million (3.3%)
- Faroe Islands: $502.2 million (2.9%)
- Australia: $285.5 million (1.7%)
- Iceland: $285 million (1.7%)
- Finland: $245.4 million (1.4%)
- Switzerland: $187.7 million (1.1%)
- Netherlands: $184.6 million (1.1%)
- United States: $177.4 million (1%)
- France: $130.3 million (0.8%)
- Germany: $76.1 million (0.4%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 99.4% of globally exported salmon in 2022.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing salmon exporters since 2021 were: Finland (up 56.4%), Iceland (up 38.2%), Netherlands (up 36.9%) and United States (up 31%).
Four major providers posted declines in their exported salmon sales were: United Kingdom (down -15.3%), France (down -14.4%), Faroe Islands (down -6.7%) and Switzerland (down -4%).
Top Fresh or Chilled Salmon Imports by Country
Worldwide, imported salmon appreciated by 24.4% over the 5-year period starting in 2018 and increased by 27.1% year over year from 2021.
Below are the 15 most lucrative countries as measured by the highest dollar value worth of imported salmon bought during 2022.
- Sweden: US$3.8 billion (23.7% of total imported salmon)
- United States: $1.5 billion (9.2%)
- Poland: $1.4 billion (8.9%)
- France: $1.2 billion (7.5%)
- Denmark: $936.9 million (5.8%)
- Brazil: $746.2 million (4.6%)
- China: $745.3 million (4.6%)
- United Kingdom: $683.9 million (4.2%)
- Italy: $516 million (3.2%)
- Spain: $512.6 million (3.2%)
- Germany: $478.1 million (3%)
- Netherlands: $467.3 million (2.9%)
- Finland: $387.8 million (2.4%)
- South Korea: $313.2 million (1.9%)
- Lithuania: $302.8 million (1.9%)
By value, the listed 15 countries purchased 86.9% of globally imported salmon for 2022.
Among the top importers, the fastest-growing salmon buyers since 2021 were: the Netherlands (up 53.3%), Finland (up 29.2%), mainland China (up 25%) and Brazil (up 22.3%).
A pair of major buyers that posted declines in their imported salmon purchases namely the United Kingdom (down -17.2% from 2021) and France (down -2.7%).
Main Prepared or Preserved Salmon Exports by Country
In addition to fresh or chilled exported salmon, another US$899.4 million worth of prepared or preserved salmon was sold on international trade markets during 2022.
The prepared or preserved salmon dollar metric amounts to just 5.2% of the overall value for globally exported fresh or chilled salmon, down from the 5.4% share for 2021.
Below are the top 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of prepared or preserved salmon for 2022.
- United States: US$155.9 million (19% of prepared or preserved salmon exports)
- Poland: $153.3 million (18.7%)
- Thailand: $123.8 million (15.1%)
- Germany: $63.1 million (7.7%)
- Vietnam: $52.1 million (6.4%)
- Canada: $42.7 million (5.2%)
- Denmark: $39.3 million (4.8%)
- France: $26.7 million (3.3%)
- China: $26 million (3.2%)
- Chile: $24.9 million (3%)
- Ireland: $18.1 million (2.2%)
- Sweden: $16.3 million (2%)
- Netherlands: $15.2 million (1.9%)
- Belgium: $15.1 million (1.8%)
- Portugal: $7.1 million (0.9%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 94.9% of global exports for prepared or preserved salmon in 2022.
Among the top exporters of processed salmon, the fastest gainers were Ireland (up 61.7% from 2021), Canada (up 52.9%), Latvia (up 42.9%), mainland China (up 37.5%), Chile (up 36.7%) and Denmark (up 34.3%).
The severest declines belong to suppliers in France (down -35.6% from 2021), Germany (down -16.8%), Vietnam (down -7.6%), and Poland (also down -7.6%).
Main Prepared or Preserved Salmon Imports by Country
Besides fresh or chilled imported salmon, a total US$1.027 billion worth of prepared or preserved salmon was bought by importers in 2022. That dollar amount reflects a 4.6% increase from 2021, and a 30.9% rise over the five year period stating in 2018.
The dollar amount for imported prepared or preserved salmon equals 6.3% of the overall value for globally imported fresh or chilled salmon. That percentage is smaller than the 6.6% share for 2021.
Below are the top 15 import countries that spent the most on prepared or preserved salmon in 2022.
- Germany: US$240.3 million (23.4% of prepared/preserved salmon imports)
- United States: $162 million (15.8%)
- Canada: $119.5 million (11.6%)
- Japan: $97.7 million (9.5%)
- United Kingdom: $95.4 million (9.3%)
- Australia: $52.2 million (5.1%)
- France: $30.2 million (2.9%)
- Italy: $27.8 million (2.7%)
- Belgium: $26.8 million (2.6%)
- Sweden: $22.9 million (2.2%)
- Taiwan: $15.3 million (1.5%)
- Switzerland: $13.8 million (1.3%)
- Denmark: $13.3 million (1.3%)
- Netherlands: $12.5 million (1.2%)
- Austria: $10.6 million (1%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 91.5% of globally imported prepared or preserved salmon during 2022.
Among the major importers of processed salmon, the strongest increases belong to buyers in Taiwan (up 86% from 2021), United States of America (up 31.2%), Australia (up 31.1%), Italy (up 15.8%), then Denmark (up 15.1%).
Posting double-digit declines year over year were importers in the Netherlands (down -24.4% from 2021) and Austria (down -11.9%).
See also Frozen Fish Exports by Country, Top Caviar Export Sales by Country, Unit Price & Weight, Oranges Exports by Country, Best Tofu Exports by Sales, Average Unit Prices & Weight and Top Vitamins Exports & Imports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on July 24, 2023
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on July 24, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on July 24, 2023
Wikipedia, Salmon. Accessed on July 24, 2023
