Regional market
Latin America
Built on cured products. Brazil is the world’s largest saltfish market, and it buys on tradition and appearance.
Latin America is not a general seafood market for Norway; it is a cured-fish market with a long history. Brazil imports salted and dried cod and saithe in volume, concentrated around Christmas and Easter, and the buyers are specific in a way that surprises exporters used to selling fresh fish. Cut, whiteness, salt content and even the shape of the split matter, because the end consumer recognises them.
Most requested species
Saltfish and klippfisk
Gadus morhua / Pollachius virens
Wet-salted and dried cod and saithe for the Portuguese, Brazilian and Caribbean trade. Sold on salt content, whiteness and cut.
- Season now
- Available
- Origin
- Wild-caught
- Condition
- Salted · Dried
- Forms
- FLT · SPLT
Saithe
Pollachius virens
Abundant, well-managed and priced well below cod. The volume workhorse for processing, saltfish and food service.
- Season now
- Peak season
- Origin
- Wild-caught
- Condition
- Fresh, chilled · Frozen · Salted
- Forms
- HG · FLT · LOIN · PORT · SPLT
Atlantic cod
Gadus morhua
Barents Sea and Lofoten cod, quota-managed and MSC-certified. The skrei window from January to April is the year’s highest quality.
- Season now
- Available
- Origin
- Wild-caught · Farmed
- Condition
- Fresh, chilled · Frozen
- Forms
- WR · HG · FLT · LOIN · PORT · SPLT
Preferred product forms
- Wet-salted and dried split cod
- Salted saithe at volume price points
- Frozen whitefish for local reprocessing
Certificate and document requirements
- Health certificate to Brazilian MAPA requirements
- Certificate of origin and catch certificate
- Analysis report on salt and moisture content
Transport modes
- Reefer container, 20–30 days to the Brazilian coast
Typical door-to-door transit as quoted by forwarders, counted from collection at the plant to delivery at the buyer’s address, including export handling and import clearance under normal conditions. Customs holds, inspection sampling and missed connections are not included. Last reviewed 15 September 2026.
- Packing and sizes
- Wooden boxes or heavy cartons that survive long chilled sea transit and humid ground handling.
- Key ports
- Ålesund · Santos · Rio de Janeiro · Cartagena
- Buyer categories
- Importers supplying national retail chains
- Traditional wholesale markets
- Payment risk
- Currency exposure is the main risk, not counterparty default. Contracts are usually priced in euro or dollar with the exchange risk on the buyer.
- Seasonal opportunity
- Christmas and Easter carry the year. Shipments must leave Norway two to three months ahead of the selling window.
- Working languages
- English · Português · Español
- Time zone
- BRT / COT