SWEDEN - Seafish

Table of contents 

Page 

1 Matching Profile 2 

1.1 The Trade Environment 2 

1.2 The Seafood Sector 3 

1.3 Consumer Trends 4 

1.4 UK Share and Export Opportunities 7 

Seafood Export Profiles 

SWEDEN 

2 Doing Business Profile 9 

2.1 The Supply Structure 9 

2.2 The Retail Channel 11 

2.3 The Foodservice Channel 12 

2.4 Key Regulations and Tariffs 14 

2.5 Tips and Useful Links 16

SECTION 1MATCHING PROFILE 

1.1 THE TRADE ENVIRONMENT 

Fast facts 

Source: Statistics Sweden 

Population 

9.1 million 

Land area 

449,964 sq km 

Inhabitants per sq km 22.05 

No. of households 

4.47 million 

Capital 

Stockholm 

Other main cities 

Gothenburg, Malmo 

Languages 

Swedish 

Religion 

Protestant, Lutheran 

Currency 

Swedish Krona (SEK) 

Exchange rate (2006) SEK:€ = 9.26 

Total GDP (2006) 

SEK 2,899 billion 

Real GDP growth rate (2006) 4.2% 

GDP per capita (2006) SEK 320,483 

Inflation (2006) 1.36% 

Unemployment rate (2006) 5.5% 

International status 

Member of the EU 

Government type 

Constitutional monarchy 

Total food and drink imports £5.95 billion 

Total food and drink exports £3.07 billion 

Top 3 import countries 

Norway, Denmark, Netherlands 

• Sweden's GDP is projected to grow 

rapidly in 2008. Growth in goods 

exports decelerated in 2007 but is 

likely to recover in 2008. Due to 

increasing disposable income, rising 

employment and a solid wealth 

position, household consumption 

is projected to increase substantially 

in the coming year. Strong finances 

in the local government sector are 

driving growth in the sector's 

consumption.The Government 

expects that the economy will be 

boosted over the coming years. 

• Today the foreign-born population 

stands at 1.1 million, or about 12%, 

according to the Organisation for 

Economic Co-operation and 

Development (OECD). 

The proportion is greater than 

in Britain, and nearly twice as high 

as in Denmark. A total of 86,436 

people were granted residence 

permits in Sweden in 2006, 19,037 

of them as refugees or other 

protective grounds or for 

humanitarian reasons. 

• Ethnic groups include indigenous 

Swedes, ethnic Finns, and ethnic Sami. 

The key immigrant populations are 

Finns, Iraqis, ex-Yugoslavia nationals, 

Iranians, Norwegians, Danes, Greeks, 

and Turks. 

• People are also emigrating: 34,365 

Swedish residents left the country 

during the first nine months of 2007, 

a five percent increase over the same 

time period last year. Most of these 

are Swedish-born citizens moving 

to another Nordic country or an 

English-speaking country. 

• An increasing number of companies 

are facing labour shortages but at the 

same time employment has risen. 

It is expected that there will be 

pressure for higher wages over the 

coming years which again will result 

in increasing inflation.The Central 

Bank is also likely to raise interest 

rates to a predicted maximum of 4.7% 

during 2009.The cumulative impact 

could dampen the Swedish economy in 

the short term whereas longer term 

heavy growth rates are expected. 

Seafood Export Profiles SWEDEN 2


1.2 THE SEAFOOD SECTOR 

Table 1: Top 10 species landed in Sweden 2005-2006 

Rank Species 2005 (£m) 2006 (£m) % Chg 05/06 

1 Cod 14.1 15.9 12.8 

2 Herring 9.6 11.1 15.6 

3 Coldwater prawn 9.5 10.2 7.4 

4 Nephrops 7.1 9.1 28.2 

5 Sprat 5.4 4.8 -12.5 

6 Lemon sole 1.5 1.3 -15.4 

7 Vendace 0.4 0.7 7.5 

8 Saithe 0.3 0.5 66.7 

9 Monkfish 0.3 0.2 -50.0 

10 Dover sole 0.1 0.2 100.0 

• The following product groups account for an 

estimated 50% of total seafood consumption. 

Herring and salmon are both key components 

in classic Swedish dishes. Cod is popular and found 

in many dishes. Shrimp is also very popular 

• Cod, herring, coldwater prawns and nephrops 

were, economically, the most important species 

landed in 2006. All four key species are in positive 

growth, whereas sprat and lemon sole experienced 

double digit decrease. 

• There are a large number of landing sites in Sweden. 

The most important are the harbours of Träslövsläge, 

Göteborg, Ängholmen, Smögen, and Strömstad on 

the west coast; and Trelleborg, Simrishamn, Karlskrona, 

Nogersund,Västervik, and Oxelösund in the Baltic. 

• The fishing industry represents a minor part of 

Sweden’s economy but is nonetheless very important 

in some coastal areas. However, the recreational fishing 

market in Sweden is greater than the commercial 

market according to a newly released report from 

Fiskeriverket,The Swedish Fishery Board value the 

socio economic value of sport fishing at £85 million. 

• The most important supply sources for the Swedish 

market are the domestic processing industry and 

imports. Both Swedish fresh seafood landings and 

aquaculture production are less important than 

direct inputs for domestic consumption. 

• The volume of Swedish seafood imports for direct 

consumption is difficult to calculate because of the 

re-export from Norway (non-EU country) 

via Sweden into the EU markets. 

• Per capita consumption of seafood in Sweden 

is officially estimated at between 17 to 18kg a year 

and this level has been stable in recent years. 

• Several Danish harbours, such as Skagen and 

Hanstholm, are also important for landing 

Swedish catches. 

• According to the Swedish Coast Guard the largest 

fishery ports in Sweden are Gothenburg 

Web: www.portgot.se/prod/hamnen/ghab/dalis2b.nsf 

and Simrishamn 

Web: www.simrishamn.se/externa/hamnar/index.html 

More information on Swedish ports is available at 

Web: http://portfocus.com/sweden/ 

Seafood Export Profiles NETHERLANDS 3


1.3 CONSUMER TRENDS 

• Swedish consumers are becoming 

increasingly environment and health 

conscious in their choice of food and 

in general the Swedes see seafood as 

a healthy alternative to meat. Recent 

data on seafood consumption is not 

available, however, the perception 

among fish traders is that consumption 

of value added seafood products is 

increasing, while consumption of fresh 

seafood is relatively stable.The general 

increase in consumption is also partly 

attributable to successful promotions 

of the organization Svensk Fisk 

(Swedish Fish). In addition, an increase 

of product assortment seems to have 

had a positive affect on consumption 

of processed and prepared seafood. 

Products such as gratins, rolls, sushi, 

prepared crayfish tails, shrimp, crab 

and lobster are receiving more 

market exposure. 

• Sweden has the world’s largest 

per capita consumption of crayfish 

mainly as a result of old traditions. 

The crayfish are cooked according 

to traditional Swedish recipes using 

brine, dill and beer. Consumption 

is estimated at around 3,000 tonnes 

per year, of which 2,500 tonnes are 

imported mainly from Turkey 

and China. 

• Overall consumption of seafood in 

Sweden is increasing, partly due to 

the general perception among Swedes 

that it is a healthy alternative to meat, 

and partly due to successful 

promotions of the organization 

Svensk Fisk. It is mainly the 

consumption of processed and 

prepared fish products that is 

increasing while consumption 

of fresh fish is relatively stable. 

Source: FSA Gain report. 

Convenience trends: 

• Value added products are seeing 

increasing demand. 

• In-store eating is spreading. 

• Take away is growing – new Gooh! 

chain of fast-food restaurants 

specialising in good healthy microwave 

ready food that is restaurant quality. 

The meal concept is the result 

of a partnership between 

manufacturer Lantmännen and 

the top-class restaurant Operakällaren 

in Stockholm. 

• Fast food chains offers healthy 

alternatives ie Max and McDonalds 

burger chains. 

• 20% of meals are eaten outside the 

home, this is expected to grow. 

• Added value convenient packaging. 

• Indulgence food increasing, but 

food that is quick to prepare. 

Health trends: 

• Increasing demand for natural 

(organic) and healthy food and 

drink products. 

• All retailers are launching packs 

with key health information 

on the front. 

• Green philosophy is growing. 

• High awareness of packaging 

(it’s overuse is to be avoided). 

• Swedes are willing to pay more 

if a product meets health and 

environmental concerns. 

• Increasing focus on trans-fat content. 

• ‘Free from’ foods are becoming 

mainstream (eg gluten free and 

lactose free). 

Organic: 

• Consumer interest increasing. 

• Demand for organic products 

is still low in Sweden. 

• Only limited offering of 

organic products. 

• Ethical positioning by retailers. 




Vegetarian: 

• More processed products linking 

convenience and vegetarianism are 

being seen. 

• The widest assortment of vegetarian 

options is within the frozen category. 

• Still limited variety outside frozen aisle. 

Ethnic foods: 

• Increasing open-mindedness 

towards new cuisines. 

• However Indian,Thai and 

Chinese ranges are very small. 

• An increasing part (12%) of the 

population are immigrants and 

this group represents an increasing 

consumer base. Consequently all 

retailers are offering new assortments 

for these consumers. 

• Halal food is starting to grow. 

• Growing number of immigrants 

and extensive travel are the main 

factors in the increasing popularity 

of ethnic foods. 

Other trends: 

• Authentification. 

• Local produce. 

• Traceability. 

• Carbon footprints. 

• Functional foods. 

• The Sveriges Pelagiska Producent 

Organisation (Swedish Pelagic 

Producers Organisation or SPPO) 

North Sea and Baltic herring and sprat 

fisheries have entered full assessment 

under the Marine Stewardship Council 

standard for sustainable and wellmanaged 

fisheries. If the fisheries are 

successful, products from the fisheries 

will be allowed to display the MSC 

eco-label. 

• Frozen seafood is more popular 

than chilled seafood in Sweden. 

Each supermarket has a considerable 

section with frozen seafood and often 

there are individual counters with 

frozen shrimps to be found even in 

smaller supermarkets. Larger 

supermarkets do have fresh seafood 

sections but they are often un-staffed. 

Fresh seafood is mostly bought 

during summer time in the cities 

with harbours. 

• Deep-frozen seafood components 

show a value increase of just over 15%. 

Salmon represents 49% of sales value 

for unprocessed fish, continues to 

increase by 25% in value and 14% 

in volume.The reason for the larger 

value growth is that increasing numbers 

of processed salmon products have 

been launched. 


LE 


Table 2: Market sizes and trends in the Swedish grocery market 

Frozen fish: 2004 2005 2006 % Chg 05/06 

Volume (tonnes) 18,173 19,441 20,565 5.8 

Value SEK (‘000s) 1,286,789 1,377,981 1,594,175 15.7 

Source: Nielsen 2007 

Table 3: Market sizes and trends in the Swedish grocery market 

Shrimps/shellfish: 2004 2005 2006 % Chg 05/06 

Volume (tonnes) 9,615 9,040 9,316 3.1 

Value SEK (‘000s) 592,801 612,015 638,900 4.4 

Source: Nielsen 2007 



1.4 UK SHARE AND EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES 

The tables below show the top 10 countries in terms of imports 

of seafood to Sweden (both in value and volume) 

Table 4: Imports of fish and seafood to Sweden 2006/2007 (value in £m) 

Table 5: Imports of fish and seafood to Sweden 2006/2007 (volume in tonnes) 

Rank Country 2006 2007 % Chg 06/07 

1 Norway 806.7 908.5 13 

2 Denmark 69.7 77.5 11 

3 China 15.6 23.6 51 

4 Netherlands 19.5 20.4 4 

5 Thailand 6.4 9.1 41 

6 Germany 7.4 7.6 3 

7 United States 4.8 6.1 28 

8 Vietnam 3.5 5.2 47 

9 Canada 4.5 5.0 11 

10 Finland 3.5 3.9 12 

12 United Kingdom 1.6 3.7 127 

Rank Country 2006 2007 % Chg 06/07 

1 Norway 252,190 311,845 24 

2 Denmark 27,044 28,305 5 

3 Germany 22,982 14,758 -36 

4 China 6,840 9,749 43 

5 Finland 5,385 5,135 -5 

6 Netherlands 5,094 4,669 -8 

7 United States 2,596 3,012 16 

8 Vietnam 1,434 2,497 74 

9 Thailand 1,352 1,875 39 

10 Latvia 158 1,832 1,059 

12 United Kingdom 301 1,313 336 

UK = No. 12 supplier to Sweden (value) 

Source:WTA 

UK = No. 12 supplier to Sweden (volume) 

Source:WTA 




Table 6: Opportunity matrix by species 

Species 

Potential in 

Retail market 

Potential in 

Foodservice 

Salmon M M 

Atlantic pollack M M 

Mackerel L L 

Sole M M 

Cod M M 

Shark L L 

Trout, fresh and chilled M M 

Greenland halibut M M 

Haddock M M 

Yellowfin tuna H M 

• Gaps in the market for UK suppliers. Particular opportunities exist 

in the retail channel for: 

- Premium products. 

- Crab. 

- Value added innovative products. 

- New packaging concepts that offer convenience. 

- Family meals. 

- Smoked products. 

- Organic products. 

- Opportunities could appear for herring exporters if the 

dioxin problems in the Baltic Sea gets worse. Products 

would then be used in the marinated herring industry. 

• Opportunities in the foodservice channel include: 

- Convenience ‘on the go’ offerings. 

- Family meals. 

- Organic. 


SECTION 2DOING BUSINESS PROFILE 

2.1 THE SUPPLY STRUCTURE 

The seafood sector in Sweden: 

supply structure, logistics and 

distribution. 

UK PRODUCER/ SWEDISH PRODUCTION 

BROKER 

IMPORTER/PROCESSOR 

WHOLESALER & 

CATERING DISTRIBUTOR 

MULTIPLE CHAIN 

FISHMONGER 

ON-PREMISE RESTAURANTS,TRATTORIA, ETC 

CONSUMER 

Source: Food from Britain 


2.1 THE SUPPLY STRUCTURE 

Best routes to market: 

Advantages: 

Disadvantages: 

• Get as close as possible 

to the end user. 

• Go direct to retailers 

and wholesalers. 

Distributor/ 

importer 

• Marketing and selling function (sales 

force/merchandisers). 

• Warehouse (stocks on hand) – 

can supply even small quantities 

at short notice. 

• The distributor has several Principles – 

your products may not get full 

attention all the time. 

• You may not receive appropriate information 

(ie who buys what and when and who does 

not buy and why not). 

• Adds cost to price. 

Direct approach 

• You will be dealing directly with 

the customers. 

• You will make direct deliveries 

to the customers. 

• You will have full control of the Trade 

Marketing expenditure. 

• You are away from the market place – the 

Buyers have no local contact . 

• No sales force/merchandisers 

where needed. 

• No local stock of products. 



2.2 THE RETAIL CHANNEL 

Top 5 mainstream retail chains in Sweden: 

ICA SWEDEN 

COOP DENMARK 

AXFOOD SWEDEN 

BERGENDAHLS SWEDEN 

Annual turnover 

£6.31 billion 






£1.0 billion 

Market share 45.0% 




Number of 2 

delivery depots 

for seafood 

Number of 2 


for seafood 

Number of 2 


for seafood 

Number of 2 


for seafood 

English spoken 

Yes 


Yes 


Yes 


Yes 

Buying practices 

Buying direct 


Buying direct 


Buying direct 


Buying direct 

Web 

www.ica.se 

Web 

www.coop.se 

Web 

www.axfood.se 

Web 

www.bergendahls.se 

Other 

information 

Fresh seafood counters 

are in some of the largest 

stores. Mainly sales of 

frozen seafood. 

Other 

information 





Other 

information 





Other 

information 





• Other retailers outside the above groups are the two discount chains: 

Lidl and Netto. 

• Fiskbilen is a homedelivery service that has 10 vans that delivers fish and 

shellfish to the door. For further information see www.fiskbilen.se 

• Svensk Fiskhandelsförbundet is the central organisation for all fresh fish outlets 

in Sweden. www.fiskhandlarna.se 

• Another way of selling fresh seafood that is often seen outside many larger 

supermarkets is via a ‘seafood selling van’ parked outside. 



2.3 THE FOODSERVICE CHANNEL 

• The Swedish foodservice market 

includes everything from pre-schools 

and hospitals to fine restaurants, chain 

restaurants and fast food outlets – a 

total market serving nearly 6 million 

meals a day with a purchase value of 

over £2 billion per year in 2006. 

• According to Djupfrysningsbyrån the 

share per commodity group in frozen 

products in foodservice was the 

following in first six months of 2006: 

Chart 1: % market share of the 

foodservice market by food group 

10% 

10% 

8% 

4% 3% 

12% 

Meat 30% 

2% 1% 

Potatoes 20% 

Poultry 12% 

Vegetables 10% 

Ready meals 10% 

Fish 8% 

Shellfish 4% 

30% 

20% 

Bakery products 3% 

Berries and fruit 2% 

Others 1%. 

Table 8: Seven relevant seafood wholesalers 

on the Swedish foodservice market 

Wholesaler Market share % 

Servera 23 

Menigo Foodservice 12 

Martin Olsson 8 

Svensk Snabbmat 7 

Axfood Snabbgros 4 

Servicegrossosterna 3 

Dafgårds 3 

Other 40 


2.3 THE FOODSERVICE CHANNEL 

The top three seafood wholesalers on 

the Swedish foodservice market. 

SERVERA AB 

MENIGO FOODSERVICE AB 

MARTIN OLSSON HAB 

Servera is Sweden’s leading 

wholesaler for the foodservice sector. 

• Number of employees: 1,100. 

• Turnover: SEK 5,561 million (2006). 

• Number of customers: 

approx 13,000. 

• Deliveries per day: approx 5,000. 

• Sales offices at 11 locations 

in Sweden. 

• Four warehouses. 

Servera is owned by Axel Johnson AB 

` 

Menigo Foodservice is divided into 

two business areas: foodservice and 

convenience. 

• Turnover: SEK 6,500 million (2006). 

• Employees: approx 1,000. 

• Approx 22,000 customers within 

Norway and Sweden. 

• Distribution central on seven 

locations in Sweden and three 

in Norway. 

Martin Olsson is a private family 

business established in 1897. 

• The customer base is mainly 

commercial restaurants and 

staff canteens. 

• Have about 10,000 articles in 

stock including dry grocery, meat, 

dairy, seafood, fruit and vegetables. 

• Several products are under 

own label. 

• Martin Olsson has subsidiaries 

in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, 

Sundsvall and Örebro.The first 

three mentioned cities include 

cash-and-carry stores with three 

in the Stockholm area. 

Web: www.servera.se 

Web: www.menigo.se 

Web: www.martinolsson.se 



2.4 KEY REGULATIONS AND TARIFFS 

Labelling/packaging regulations 

• Food labelling is important, primarily 

to inform and protect consumers. 

All food sold in Sweden must follow 

the European and Swedish regulations 

for food labelling. It is the responsibility 

of the importer/distributor to make 

sure that food imported to Sweden 

follows the regulations for food 

labelling. 

• The food labelling shall be in Swedish, 

easy to understand and be visible. 

The food labelling must not mislead 

the consumer. 

The food labelling shall among other 

things contain: 

1. Name of the food. 

2. List of ingredients. 

3. Quantity of some ingredients 

or categories of ingredients. 

4. Net weight – as an example 

g, kg, l, cl, ml. 

5. Best before or latest day of 

consumption. Stated with day, 

month and year. 

6. Special instructions concerning 

storage or use. 

7. Name(s) of the firm and address 

of the manufacturer, or package firm 

or the sellers name. 

8. Origin. 

9. Directions for use. 

This information is available at 

Livsmedelsverket (The National Food 

Administration in Sweden) or at the 

web site: www.slv.se 

• EU legislation requires that all food, 

including seafood, must have a label 

that includes the name under which 

the product is sold, the list of 

ingredients (in descending order of 

weight), net quantity of pre-packed 

food ingredients in metric unit, date 

of minimum durability (except for fresh 

produces), any special storage conditions 

or conditions of use (except for fresh 

produces), and the name of the 

manufacturer, packer or EU seller 

(except for non-packed fresh produce). 

Furthermore, EU regulation 2065/2001 

specifically outlines labelling requirements 

for fishery and aquaculture products. 

• All products offered for retail sale in 

the EU must be properly labelled with 

the following information: 

1. Species commercial name. 

2. Production method used: "caught in…" 

for wild fish, "farmed" or "cultivated", 

for aquaculture products. 

3. Catch area must be listed: for products 

caught at sea a reference to areas 

(FAO zones), for products caught in 

freshwater a reference to the country 

of origin, for farmed products a 

reference to the country in which 

the product undergoes the final 

development stage. 

In addition to the EU requirements, listed 

above, producers may voluntarily choose 

to give additional information, such as 

production methods or nutritional 

elements. 

VAT rates 

• In Sweden VAT is paid on fish 

and shellfish at a rate of 12%. 

Environmental/recycling 

requirements 

• Greenpeace recently ranked Swedish 

supermarket chains on their use of 

endangered species of fish or those 

caught using methods that risk the 

future of other marine species. 

It said that none of the chains have 

a completely sustainable policy. 

The group has also put together 

a list of fish to avoid for 

environmental reasons, including 

cod, plaice and swordfish. 


2.4 KEY REGULATIONS AND TARIFFS 

Organic certification requirements. 

• In 2001, the private organization KRAV 

started a project to develop standards 

for the inspection and certification of 

organic wild fish and shellfish caught 

in Scandinavian waters. (KRAV is 

recognized by the National Food 

Administration to carry out inspection 

and certification for organic 

production.) A project group with 

representatives from the Swedish 

government, fishermen, fish industry 

and other stakeholders was 

established. As a result of this project, 

wild fish products can now carry 

organic labelling and has been 

marketed as organic to Swedish 

consumers since July 2004. Importers 

who have an import license issued by 

KRAV or IFOAM (International 

Federation of Organic Agriculture 

Movements) may import products 

and sell them as KRAV-certified. 

KRAV is accredited by IFOAM. 

IFOAM is a worldwide movement 

for organic agriculture and a platform 

for global exchange and cooperation. 

(For more information, please visit 

KRAV’s web site www.krav.se) 

• Other relevant local legislation. 

For details and Information on 

labelling in Sweden follow the 

below link. 

Web: www.slv.se/default.aspx?id=231 

&epslanguage=EN-GB 

The keyhole symbol 

• The National Food Administration’s 

keyhole symbol is there to help 

consumers identify the healthier 

options when buying food or eating out. 

Foods labelled with the keyhole 

symbol are leaner and contain less 

sugars and salt and more fibre than 

food products of the same type not 

carrying the symbol. 

By choosing foods with the keyhole 

symbol it is easier for consumers to 

improve their diet, which can lead to 

better health now and in the future. 

Web: www.slv.se/templates/SLV_ 

Page.aspx?id=2581&epslanguage= 

EN-GB 

Figure 1: 

the keyhole label. 



2.5 TIPS AND USEFUL LINKS 

• Useful websites: 

The Swedish Board of Fisheries: 

Web: www.fiskeriverket.se/ 

otherlanguages/ inenglish.4.1e93312 

510e313daf128000171.html 

Svensk Fisk – an organisation working 

to promote seafood 

Web: www.svenskfisk.se 

Fiskbranschens Riksförbund – Swedish 

seafood industry association. 

Around 80% of Swedish seafood 

companies are members. 

Web: www.fiskbranschen.se/ 

• For further information, contact: 

Jakob True 

Food from Britain Nordic, 

Korskildelund 6, 

2670 Greve, Denmark 

Tel: +45 3583 3573 

Email: jakobtrue@ffb.dk 

• For further business advice on entering 

the export market, contact: 

Marketing 

Seafish 

18 Logie Mill 

Logie Green Road 

Edinburgh 

EH7 4HS 

Tel: 0131 558 3331 

Fax: 0131 558 1442 

Email: marketinsight@seafish.co.uk 

Web: www.seafish.org

SWEDEN - Seafish

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