Norway, the world's largest producer of Atlantic salmon by output, said the demand for salmon has been growing rapidly in China, fueled by the expanding size of China's middle-income group and the booming development of e-commerce and new retail channels, an upward trend that is expected to continue in the next few years.

China has risen from Norway's sixth-largest seafood exporting market last year to the third largest this year, making it the fastest-growing country among Norway's top 10 export destinations, according to the Norwegian Seafood Council.

Norwegian salmon continues to hold the top spot in the country's seafood exports to China. In the first eight months of this year, the export volume of Norwegian salmon to China reached 61,303 metric tons, jumping 120 percent year-on-year, and the export value came in at 5.4 billion Norwegian kroner ($549 million), up 66 percent on a yearly basis, the council's data show.

Over the same period, the total export value of Norwegian seafood to China reached 8 billion Norwegian kroner, growing 43 percent year-on-year, the council said.

Vebjorn Dysvik, Norwegian ambassador to China, said the seafood industry is Norway's most important mainland export industry, and China, as one of Norway's most important trade partners, has become a key growth engine for Norwegian seafood worldwide.

"We look forward to deepening cooperation in the seafood sector and bringing safe, delicious and high-quality Norwegian seafood to Chinese consumers," Dysvik said during a recent event in Beijing.

Back in the 1980s, the Scandinavian nation first introduced Atlantic salmon for raw consumption to the international market, and this year marks the 40th anniversary of the launch of salmon sashimi. Today, Norway's annual output of salmon accounts for over half of the world's total.

China's salmon market is showing unprecedented growth momentum, with Norwegian salmon emerging as a major beneficiary. Data revealed that Norwegian salmon's market share in China has climbed from 39 percent in January to 71 percent in June, marking its highest share in the Chinese market over the past 15 years, the council said.

Sigmund Bjorgo, director of the Norwegian Seafood Council in China, said as sushi and sashimi gain growing popularity among Chinese consumers, demand for Norwegian salmon in the country has been growing at a rapid pace. He further noted that China has developed a combined offline-and-digital consumption model, which is playing a key role in continuously unlocking the market's potential for Norwegian salmon.

"From supermarkets, fresh-cut outlets and restaurants to instant delivery services and next-day cold-chain logistics networks, Norwegian salmon is reaching Chinese consumers' daily lives at an unprecedented speed and scale," Bjorgo said.

"China has emerged as Asia's largest consumer of Atlantic salmon, with its consumption volume doubling that of Japan, the second-largest consumer in the region," he added.

Meanwhile, the council said it will further strengthen online marketing efforts on platforms including WeChat and RedNote, while starting cooperation with more local sashimi chains such as Jingzhe Salmon and Wecook Seafood. Next year, the council will raise its marketing budget in China by 70 percent compared to this year.

Jingzhe Salmon, a Shanghai-headquartered chain restaurant focused on salmon and other seafood sashimi, now operates more than 700 outlets across China, with over 95 percent of its stores maintaining profitability.

The company plans to accelerate its national restaurant expansion, with a focus on second-tier cities and lower-tier markets. The chain expects to grow its store count to over 1,000 by the end of this year and scale up to more than 3,000 outlets by the end of 2026.

"We will continue to advance our 'one county, one store' initiative, with the goal of covering more than 1,900 counties across China," said Sun Gaochao, co-founder and general manager of Jingzhe Salmon.

zhuwenqian@chinadaily.com.cn