Export volume of fish, fish products rise but value slides

The volume of fish and fish products exported by Finland in 2019 was 87 million kilograms, according to the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke).

The total volume of fish exports by Finland increased by nearly two million kilograms year on year.

The value of exports, however, was EUR 163 million, posting an 18 million euro drop yer on year.

The decrease in the value of fish exports was mainly due to a price slide of fresh whole salmon imported from Norway and re-exported to other European countries from EUR 137 million to EUR 117 million. The export volume was a little less than 21 million kilos.

“Not including the re-exports of salmon, the export volume of 66 million kilos was four million kilos more than in 2018. The value of exports, however, declined by EUR two million to EUR 47 million”, said Luke Senior Statistician Pentti Moilanen.

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

The key export countries for fish and fish products were the UK, France, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Denmark, and Sweden. About 40 per cent of all fresh whole salmon was exported to the UK and France.

In 2019, about 100 million kilos of fish and fish products were imported to Finland.

Compared to the year before, the import volume saw a 17 million kilo drop. The total value of imports declined by EUR 39 million to EUR 487 million.

The import of fresh whole salmon totalled 40 million kilos, and its value was EUR 235 million. When re-exports are deducted from imports, the amount of fresh whole salmon remaining in Finland was nearly 20 million kilos. This figure was approximately four million kilos lower than that in 2018. Fresh salmon and trout were imported from Norway as fillet and other fish products almost four million kilos more than in the year before.

The most important import countries for fish and fish products included Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Estonia.