Vietnam secures the "C position" in the true cod trade, China advances in salted cod

Published Feb 9, 2026

Tridge summary

Core tip: At the beginning of 2026, two noteworthy changes in the export structure of Norwegian cod are drawing significant attention from the industry: the "largest destination" for frozen cod is clearly shifting towards Vietnam, while on the traditional European advantage categories such as salted/dried cod, products from China are increasingly entering core consumer markets like Brazil and Portugal. Against the backdrop of "quota reductions, high raw material prices, and suppressed demand," these two forces are compounding to change the flow and competitive landscape of the global cod industry chain.

Original content

Vietnam "Takes the C Seat": Norway's Frozen Cod Largest Market Switches in January Data from the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) shows that in January 2026, Norway's frozen cod exports amounted to 2,541 tons, a year-on-year decline of about 30%, with an export value of 274 million Norwegian kroner, also down 7% year-on-year. While the overall volume weakened, the most significant change was in the destination: Vietnam jumped to the largest market for Norway's frozen cod, with 1,055 tons, accounting for about 40% of the frozen cod exports for that month, and a year-on-year increase of 141%. Behind this "Vietnamization" is the redistribution of the whitefish processing chain. NSC whitefish analyst Eivind Braekkan pointed out that the market originally expected that frozen cod exports to China would rebound after the "US-China tariff easing/breakthrough," but the reality is that Vietnam has become the most significant destination. Vietnam, like China, has strong whitefish processing ...

Source: Foodmate