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May 07, 2020 (newstodate): The coronavirus has a strong impact also on Norway's exports of salmon that was down by four percent, y-o-y, during the first 18 months of this year.
   In week 18 alone, ending May 3, volumes dropped even further by 5.5 percent, while the average price per kilo was down by 11 percent, y-o-y.
   One key market for Norwegian salmon exporters is China where volumes were, however, up by 17 percent in week 18, while the average price per kilo dropped as much as 29 percent, y-o-y.
   -Generally speaking, the demand for salmon is down by some 30 percent as the current situation sees the demand in the markets moving from restaurants to home-consumption. This hits especially hard in markets that rely heavily on tourism, such as Thailand and Singapore, says Paul Aandahl, Seafood Norway market analyst.
   -With very high air cargo rates the logistic costs have increased by 2-300 percent, leading to substantially lower sales prices. Normally, logistic costs would spread along the entire supply chain, but in this turbulent situation a growing share of the burden will remain with the exporters.
   -Still, a competitor in the global market such as Chile is worse off as its seafood air logistic costs to reach the Chinese market are substantially higher from the outset, leaving Norway with a competitive edge.  
   -So even with rising airfreight rates, Norway's salmon exporters have actually managed to grow their share of the Chinese market while prices are still trailing behind, says Mr Aandahl.