STORY: Norway's seafood exports reach record high in 2023
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 4, 2024
DATELINE: Jan. 5, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:05
LOCATION: Oslo
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of salmons on the farm 
2. various of workers processing salmons on the assembly line
3. various of packed salmons
4. various of shrimp on the assembly line
5. various of workers processing mackerels on the assembly line
6. various of packed mackerels transported from the factory

STORYLINE:

Norway's seafood exports soared to unprecedented heights in 2023, achieving a record value of 172 billion Norwegian kroner (16.68 billion U.S. dollars).
   
This marks an increase of 14 percent, or 20.7 billion Norwegian kroner, compared to the previous year, reported the Norwegian Seafood Council on Thursday.
     
The weakening of the Norwegian krone since 2022 has significantly boosted export growth in kroner terms. However, this growth was less pronounced when evaluated in euros or U.S. dollars, which are Norway's primary trading currencies.
  
Norway's Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Policy Cecilie Myrseth emphasized the strength of Norwegian seafood internationally. "From individual shark fishermen to staff at our largest aquaculture facilities, everyone in the industry can take pride in this success," she said.
   
Nevertheless, Norway's total seafood exports in terms of volume dropped to 2.8 million metric tons in 2023, a decrease of 5 percent from 2022.
     
In 2023, Norway exported seafood to 153 countries and regions, six more than in the previous year. Poland, Denmark, and the United States were the top markets for Norwegian seafood.
   
Notably, China emerged as the eighth-largest global market and the foremost in Asia for Norwegian seafood. In 2023, it imported goods worth 8.5 billion Norwegian kroner, an 18 percent increase from 2022. (1 Norwegian krone = 0.097 U.S. dollar)

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Oslo.
(XHTV)