The overall value of exported fresh or chilled salmon grew by an average 16.1% for all exporting countries since 2021 when worldwide shipments of salmon were valued at $15.3 billion.
Year over year, total exports of salmon flatlined slowed to a 1.7% increase starting from $17.5 billion in 2024.
The 5 major exporters of fresh or chilled salmon are Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, Chile and Canada. Combined, that leading quintet of exporters provided 85% of international sales of salmon during 2025, up from 83.8% one year prior.
Among continents, European countries sold the highest dollar worth of exported fresh or chilled salmon during 2025 with shipments valued at $15.5 billion or 88.1% of the global total. In second place were Latin American exporters at 5.9% including the Caribbean. Another 4% of international salmon sales originated from North America.
Smaller percentages came from exporters in Oceania (1.9%) 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: $17.6 billion (98.8% of global total); and
- Pacific salmon: $219.1 million (1.2%)
Shifting focus to salmon imports, the 5 leading buyers of fresh or chilled salmon on global markets are Sweden, Poland, mainland China United States of America and France. That cohort of main buyers of salmon on international markets consumed well over half (54.7%) of imported salmon during 2025.
The top 5 countries’ percentage is much more concentrated for exporter countries compared to major importer nations. This is partly because there are over twice as many importing countries, islands and territories as opposed to exporting entities. Specifically, there are about 150 importers compared to around 55 export countries.
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 2025.
- Norway: US$8.4 billion (47.9% of total salmon exports)
- Sweden: $3.8 billion (21.6%)
- United Kingdom: $1.1 billion (6.2%)
- Chile: $1 billion (5.9%)
- Canada: $583.5 million (3.3%)
- Faroe Islands: $582.2 million (3.3%)
- Denmark: $430.1 million (2.4%)
- Iceland: $321.2 million (1.8%)
- Australia: $249.5 million (1.4%)
- Finland: $212 million (1.2%)
- Netherlands: $179.5 million (1%)
- France: $152.6 million (0.9%)
- United States: $115.8 million (0.7%)
- Ireland: $103 million (0.6%)
- Spain: $46 million (0.3%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 98.6% of globally exported salmon in 2025.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing salmon exporters since 2024 were: Spain (up 29.3%), United States of America (up 24.7%), Australia (up 15.6%) and Finland (up 14%).
Those countries that posted declines in their exported salmon sales were led by: Denmark (down -30% from 2024), France (down -15.5%), Chile (down -8.8%), Faroe Islands (down -7.2%) and Canada (down -6.5%).
Top Fresh or Chilled Salmon Imports by Country
Worldwide, imported salmon totaled $16.8 billion for 2025 appreciating by 13.3% over the 5-year period starting from $14.8 billion in 2021, and slowed to a 0.4% year over year improvement from $16.75 billion for 2024.
Below are the 15 most lucrative countries as measured by the highest dollar value worth of spending on imported salmon bought during 2025.
- Sweden: US$3.8 billion (22.8% of total imported salmon)
- Poland: $1.6 billion (9.3%)
- mainland China: $1.4 billion (8%)
- United States: $1.3 billion (7.9%)
- France: $1.1 billion (6.7%)
- Brazil: $775.5 million (4.6%)
- Denmark: $749.9 million (4.5%)
- Spain: $719.5 million (4.3%)
- United Kingdom: $643.9 million (3.8%)
- Italy: $610.9 million (3.6%)
- Netherlands: $583.1 million (3.5%)
- Germany: $373.7 million (2.2%)
- Finland: $338.6 million (2%)
- Lithuania: $257.2 million (1.5%)
- South Korea: $244.6 million (1.5%)
By value, the listed 15 countries purchased 86.2% of globally imported salmon for 2025.
Among the top importers, the fastest-growing salmon buyers since 2024 were: mainland China (up 26.5%), Spain (up 21.9%), Finland (up 6.7%) and Sweden (up 3.9%).
Those countries that posted declines in their imported salmon purchases were led by: Denmark (down -23.4% from 2024), France (down -15.9%), South Korea (down -8.9%), Germany (down -7.5%) and Brazil (also down -7.5%).
Main Prepared or Preserved Salmon Exports by Country
In addition to fresh or chilled exported salmon, another US$1 billion worth of prepared or preserved salmon was sold on international trade markets during 2025.
That export amount fell by -0.6% year over year, but appreciated by 19.6% over the 5-year period starting in 2021.
The prepared or preserved salmon dollar metric amounts to just 5.7% of the overall value for globally exported fresh or chilled salmon, up from the 5.6% share for 2024.
Below are the top 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of prepared or preserved salmon for 2025.
- Poland: US$209.2 million (20.8% of prepared/preserved salmon exports)
- Lithuania: $133.9 million (13.3%)
- Thailand: $103.4 million (10.3%)
- United States: $86.5 million (8.6%)
- Vietnam: $80 million (7.9%)
- Denmark: $64.1 million (6.4%)
- Chile: $44.5 million (4.4%)
- Germany: $42.3 million (4.2%)
- mainland China: $39.4 million (3.9%)
- Canada: $36.9 million (3.7%)
- France: $28.1 million (2.8%)
- Ireland: $25.9 million (2.6%)
- Sweden: $16 million (1.6%)
- Belgium: $15.8 million (1.6%)
- Netherlands: $12.4 million (1.2%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 93.2% of global exports for prepared or preserved salmon in 2025.
Among the top exporters of processed salmon, the fastest gainers were France (up 61.7% from 2024), mainland China (up 29.4%), Chile (up 17.7%), Netherlands (up 15.7%) and Denmark (up 5.9%).
The severest declines belong to suppliers in Canada (down -34.5% from 2024), Vietnam (down -17.5%), United States of America (down -11.5%), Germany (down -11.1%) and Belgium (down -10.7%).
Main Prepared or Preserved Salmon Imports by Country
Besides fresh or chilled imported salmon, a total US$1 billion worth of prepared or preserved salmon was bought by importers in 2025. That dollar amount reflects a 4.5% upturn from $959.6 million in 2024, and a 2.1% increase over the five-year period starting from $982.2 million for 2021.
The dollar amount for imported prepared or preserved salmon equals 6% of the overall value for globally imported fresh or chilled salmon. That percentage exceeds the 5.8% share for 2024.
Below are the top 15 import countries that spent the most on prepared or preserved salmon in 2025.
- Germany: US$262.6 million (26.2% of prepared/preserved salmon imports)
- United States: $152.9 million (15.3%)
- Japan: $107.8 million (10.8%)
- United Kingdom: $74.6 million (7.4%)
- France: $62.2 million (6.2%)
- Canada: $44.8 million (4.5%)
- Australia: $41 million (4.1%)
- Italy: $28 million (2.8%)
- Denmark: $24.6 million (2.4%)
- Sweden: $18.1 million (1.8%)
- Netherlands: $17.4 million (1.7%)
- Belgium: $17.1 million (1.7%)
- Switzerland: $14.8 million (1.5%)
- Spain: $13.7 million (1.4%)
- Taiwan: $13.4 million (1.3%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 89.1% of globally imported prepared or preserved salmon during 2025.
Among the major importers of processed salmon, the greatest percentage increases belong to buyers in Spain (up 54.6% from 2024), United States of America (up 30.8%), France (up 17.3%), Japan (up 16.1%) then Italy (up 12.9%).
Posting double-digit declines year over year were importers in Belgium (down -31.1% from 2024), Canada (down -22.6%), Sweden (down -13.8%) and the United Kingdom (down -12.7%).
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 May 25, 2026
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on May 25, 2026
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on May 25, 2026
Wikipedia, Salmon. Accessed on May 25, 2026