In 2012, Russia increased frozen cod fillets exports to the EU by 25% to 55,890t in 2012; while Norwegian frozen fillets to the EU decreased by 8% to 28,896t in 2012.
“The most important factor behind this is the structural alteration to the fishing fleets of Norway and Russia,” states the report, entitled Finfish 2013, and published by AIPCE-CEP.
Iceland also decreased its sales of frozen fillets into Europe, with volumes dropping 12% to 59,320t for 2012. Icelandic companies are selling more frozen-at-sea (FAS) vessels, for financial reasons, with a Russian company buying one FAS trawler last week, from Fisk Seafood.
While Iceland is moving more toward fresh fish and land-frozen fillet production, Russia has turned its attention to expanding its processing vessel fleet, the Norwegian fleet has moved away from processing at sea to boost headed and gutted (H&G) and frozen whole production.
The increase in frozen whole has boosted exports from Norway to the EU, up by 36% in 2012 to 33,807t, the report shows.
As Norway has been increasing H&G volumes for exports, value-adding processing has taken place in other countries. The biggest importer of frozen groundfish –mainly cod — from Norway in 2013 was China, with imports valued at NOK 1.3 billion ($210 million). This is 23% more compared to the previous year, according to the Norwegian Seafood Council.
However, data for 2012 shows China decreased frozen cod fillets exports to the EU by 10%, from 137,293t in 2011 to 122,986t after several years of exports growth. This could be due to species substitution as cod was still relatively more expensive than Alaska pollock and haddock in 2012, according to the report.
“Another factor could be the effect of de-stocking to the mid-year announcement of a 33% quota increase in the Barents Sea (250,000t) that led the market to anticipate lower prices ahead,” shows the report, referring to the market shock from the million-metric-ton cod quota in 2013. The Barents Sea cod quota has been adjusted down by 7,000t for 2014.
Chinese re-processing, at risk of contracting
China preeminence in fish re-processing is backed by a strong infrastructure and investment, the report says, but the country is currently facing challenges in the sector that may begin to erode its overall processing capacity.
As previously reported by Undercurrent News, production costs for re-processing have increased. This means that attracting cheap labour to the fish processing sector is becoming harder, the report shows. Also, the advantage of processing by hand, is being affected by the development of improved technology and efficiency in EU factories for certain formats.
The importance of cod processing in Europe is still evident, the report shows: with imports of around 133,000t of H&G and 39,000t of fresh whole, in addition to EU catches of 144,000t, processing is one of the core sectors of the industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietfish 2026, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition, will officially take place from 19–21 August 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City. As Vietnam’s largest annual seafood trade event, organized by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Vietfish 2026 will once again bring together leading seafood companies, industry experts, and international partners from across the global seafood value chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached USD 1.1 billion in July 2026, up 4.8% compared to the same period in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first seven months of the year totaled nearly USD 6.86 billion, an increase of 11.5% year-on-year. Exceeding the USD 1 billion mark in July further reinforces the prospect that Vietnam’s seafood exports could surpass USD 12 billion in 2026. However, the July figures also send a clear signal that the most favorable growth period may have passed: overall export growth slowed to just 4.8%, pangasius exports fell 6.1%, tuna exports were virtually flat, while exports to the EU, South Korea, and the Middle East all recorded double-digit declines.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the seminar "Global Seafood Market and the Future Workforce: Trends, Opportunities, and Sustainable Development Pathways for Vietnam's Seafood Industry" will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on August 19, 2026, at Convention Room B, Level 2, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City. This is the first of five specialized seminars at Vietfish 2026, focusing on key issues that are shaping the long-term development of Vietnam's seafood industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese seafood exports recorded impressive growth, generating nearly 6 billion USD in revenue during the first six months of the year, up 13% compared with the same period last year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Fishermen in Ha Tinh are gradually overcoming difficulties to maintain the efficiency of seafood exploitation. In the first six months of 2026, the entire province achieved a production of more than 23,000 tons of seafood, worth more than 1,200 billion VND.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) June 2026 brought encouraging signs for Vietnam's tuna exports, with export value rising 20% year-on-year to nearly USD 72 million. However, this increase has yet to offset the prolonged slowdown seen in key markets such as the European Union (EU), where import demand remains weak. The outlook for the second half of the year is expected to become more challenging as freight rates continue to climb.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in collaboration with the Agency for Domestic Market Management and Development under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, will organize the Domestic Seafood Supply–Demand Matching Program on the morning of August 20, 2026, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City. The program aims to foster direct business connections between Vietnamese seafood producers and processors and domestic distributors, retailers, and foodservice channels.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Cooking Show will be one of the most engaging experiential highlights of Vietfish 2026. Taking place over three days, from August 19–21, 2026, at Hall B1, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City, the event will offer visitors a vibrant culinary space where Vietnamese seafood is showcased through its flavors, stories, and real-life culinary applications.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's pangasius exports reached USD 205 million in June 2026, up 5% compared with the same month in 2025. Cumulative export value for the first six months of the year totaled USD 1.1 billion, an increase of 12% year-on-year. Growth was primarily driven by strong demand from China and CPTPP markets, while exports to the United States and Brazil continued to decline.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first six months of 2026, Ha Tinh province continued to implement comprehensive solutions to combat IUU fishing; strictly manage the fishing fleet, control fishing vessels entering and leaving ports, operate vessel tracking devices, trace the origin of seafood, and severely punish violations.
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