Brazil has agreed on conditions with the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet) for the European nation to export its aquaculture products, including salmon, to the South American country of over 200 million people.
Negotiations with Brazil have been ongoing since 2021, according to Mattilsynet Managing Director Ingunn Midttun Godal, and the agreement now allows Mattilsynet to begin issuing health certificates for aquaculture exports to Brazil, covering all aquaculture species and products – from fillets to whole, gutted fish and in all forms of preservation, including smoked products – the authority announced in a press release.
“We have now reached an agreement on a certificate for products from aquaculture, and that is pleasing for the Norwegian seafood industry,” she said.
On its website, Mattilsynet reviewed the process for seafood exporters to enter Brazil and explained how interested companies in Norway can be added to its list of approved producers. The authority has been able to issue health certificates for aquaculture product exports to Brazil since 15 September on.
Norway has traditionally exported cuttlefish to Brazil, but the ability to export salmon opens up a massive opportunity for the Norwegian aquaculture industry. However, there is stiff competition there, as Brazil is the second-largest importer of Chilean salmon after the U.S., representing an important market for Chilean farmers.
During the first seven months of 2024, Chile shipped 86,074 metric tons (MT) of salmon to Brazil, valued at USD 560 million (EUR 503 million). In dollar terms, shipments were up 15.2 percent when compared to the same period of 2023, according to information from Chile’s National Customs Service. In comparison, over the same period of time, shipments of Chilean salmon to the U.S. were down 10 percent to USD 1.5 billion (EUR 1.35 billion).
