Norway encouraged the Philippines to maximize its potential as a premier importer and reexporter of quality salmon.
Norway Ambassador to the Philippines Christian Halaas Lyster said the Philippines lags in trade for seafood compared to its peers in Southeast Asia.
“There is so much potential for growth for exports in the Philippines,” Lyster said, adding that Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Taiwan had overtaken the Philippines despite the latter’s promising potential for growth.
“We see further increase of demands for salmon exports in the Philippines market and we want to take the opportunity of the growing consumer demand for fresh market ingredients here,” Lyster said.
Norway is the second largest seafood exporter in the world and is known for prime quality seafood from the Atlantic Ocean. Norway implements strict rules and regulations in handling seafood, making sure that the produce is from a clean and healthy environment and in compliance with the sustainable standards of fish farming.
Norway is also looking at further utilizing the Philippines-European Free Trade Association agreement which entered into force in 2018 and covers tariff-free entry of goods from Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Iceland.
“Our seafood industry has one of the most advanced technologies, and we make sure that most of our seafood is based on sustainable practices. This is why Norwegian seafood is the best in the world,” Lester said.