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.
(vasep.com.vn) On November 11, 2026, in Can Tho, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) will organize the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029: Opportunities and Headroom for Double-Digit Export Growth.”
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Business leader Do Ngoc Tai, General Director of Tai Kim Anh Seafood Processing Joint Stock Company, was honored by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) with the title “Outstanding Vietnamese Entrepreneur – Thanh Giong Cup 2026” at a ceremony celebrating Vietnam Entrepreneurs’ Day (October 13). The event took place on the evening of October 11, 2026, at the National Convention Center in Hanoi.
(vasep.com.vn) The global tilapia market is becoming increasingly segmented, not only among producing countries but also by product type and destination market. Supply is divided into groups with distinct competitive advantages: large volumes of whole fish and frozen fillets from Asia, high-value fresh fillets from Latin America, and substantial domestic consumption in several major producing countries.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports to the UK grew in the first eight months of 2026, despite signs of slowing import demand in the market. However, sharp fluctuations in orders, competition from major suppliers, and new traceability requirements are creating challenges for Vietnamese exporters.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam is stepping up efforts to combat illegal fishing, protect marine ecosystems, expand digital monitoring, and develop science-based management to ensure the sea can support communities and the economy for generations to come.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The EU remains a critical market for Vietnamese shrimp; however, purchasing demand and import patterns are undergoing notable changes. According to Vietnam Customs data, as of September 15, 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the EU reached nearly $374 million, down 5% year-over-year and accounting for 10.7% of the country’s total shrimp export value. Meanwhile, the EU’s stotal shrimp imports through July 2026 contracted by 7% in volume, exhibiting divergent trends across Southern Europe, Northwestern Europe and Eastern Europe. These dynamics necessitate that Vietnamese enterprises closely monitor individualized market demand, rather than approaching the EU as a monolithic consumer block.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of surimi and fish cakes remained relatively stable year-over-year compared to 2025. Following a contraction in the initial months, export performance demonstrated improvement from June onward, peaking in August. However, the recovery has been uneven, characterized by divergent trends across major markets: robust growth was recorded in China, Japan, Malaysia, the United States, and Taiwan, whereas export volumes to South Korea, Indonesia, and select European markets contracted.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Pangasius remains one of Dong Thap’s key aquaculture species, with the province focusing on developing an integrated value chain covering seed production, commercial farming, deep processing and by-product utilization. The province is promoting high-tech, circular pangasius farming models featuring reduced water exchange and enhanced biosecurity, aiming to improve production efficiency and strengthen control over raw material quality.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports in September 2026 are estimated at US$1.135 billion, up 11.9% year-on-year, bringing total exports in the first nine months of the year to US$9.103 billion, up 11.4%. Behind this double-digit growth, however, increasingly divergent market trends are emerging: China–Hong Kong and ASEAN posted strong growth, while the U.S., EU and Japan all recorded declines in September.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Brazil became the largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, with export value reaching US$44 million, up 22,142% year-on-year and accounting for 49% of Vietnam’s total tilapia exports. In August alone, exports to Brazil reached US$4 million. However, behind this remarkable growth is a market that is imposing increasingly stringent requirements on imported supplies.
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