Foreign trade in fish 2017

In 2017, the amount of fish and fish products exported from Finland was 77 million kilos. The volume of exported fish increased by five million kilos from the year before. The value of exports, EUR 148 million, increased by as much as EUR 90 million. The increase was almost entirely due to the fact that the value of exports of fresh whole salmon, imported from Norway and exported to other European countries, increased from EUR 8 million to EUR 96 million.

The amount of fish exported for human consumption amounted to nearly 59 million kilos, and that of products to be used for other purposes to almost 18 million kilos.

The key export countries for fish and fish products were Estonia (EUR 26 million), the UK (EUR 25 million), France (EUR 24 million), Poland (EUR 15 million) Denmark and Lithuania (EUR 10 million), and Belarus (EUR 7 million). Over half of all fresh whole salmon was exported to the UK and France.

Finland’s most important export products included fresh salmon and rainbow trout, fresh and frozen Baltic herring and sprat, and fish roe and roe products.

In 2017, about 116 million kilos of fish and fish products were imported to Finland. Compared to the year before, the import volume increased by 15 million kilos. Total value of imports increased by EUR 108 million to EUR 510 million. The increase in the value of exports of fresh salmon to EUR 96 million was also reflected in the increase in the value of imports.

The amount of fish imported for human consumption was 92 million kilos. The volume of products classified as food amounted to 18 million kilos, while their value was greater than that of the previous year by EUR 109 million.

The most important import countries for fish and fish products included Norway (EUR 290 million), Sweden (EUR 79 million), Denmark (EUR 29 million) and Estonia (EUR 19 million).

Of the total import volume, 57% (65 million kilos) originated in Norway. The main item imported for human consumption from Norway were whole fresh sea salmon (42 million kilos), of which 15 million kilos was exported directly. In addition, products such as shrimp and prawn, and herring preserves and ‑preparations were imported.