Norwegian Minister of Trade and Industry Trond Giske went to Hualian BHG store in Solana, Beijing last week to kick off a yearlong promotional program by the Norwegian Seafood Export Council (NSEC), which will culminate with a major event in October at the World Expo in Shanghai.

Norwegian salmon was introduced to China commercially in the 1990s. Last year exports of Norwegian salmon to the mainland increased by 57 percent. Overall exports from Norway to China were up 40 percent last year despite the challenging global economic environment. China is now Norway's largest trading partner in Asia and its fifth largest globally.