Norway is a country that does not belong to the EU, while the EEA (European Economic Area) agreement provides trade opportunities that are eagerly used by exporters. As the statistics show, Polish exports to Norway are not small and are growing every year. What do you need to know if you want to trade goods from within the EU and export them to Norway? Is food treated as a special category? And is there a demand for Polish and European products in Norway at all?

Polish exports to Norway

As shown by statistical data, Polish exports to Norway in 2018 amounted to EUR 2.6 billion and has remained relatively stable since then. Despite slight fluctuations, Norway is consistently ranked 20th in Polish exports and an equivalent - 20th in imports. As it turns out, Poland is one of Norway's largest salmon buyers.

In turn, exports from the Vistula River concern products in various categories, but the leaders here are vessels, vehicles, steel structures, building materials, industrial machinery, furniture and electromechanical products. The IT industry is also becoming more and more important in Polish exports to Norway.

So what about food exports? Although food products are not among the top products exported from Poland to Norway, it is still an area that Polish producers should look at.

Norway and food imports from Europe

Contrary to appearances, food is eagerly imported by Norwegians due to the difficulties in meeting their own needs on their own. It is worth noting that Norwegian imports from abroad have recently shown a general upward trend - in January 2022 they amounted to NOK 68.6 billion and increased by 23.3% compared to December 2021! The share of food in this total account was significant and amounted to NOK 53 308 billion. In 2020, 56% of products imported by Norway came from the European Union.

Statistics show that Norway is happy to import food, drink and tobacco. According to the data of the Department of Food Promotion and Quality of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, since 2017, Polish exports of wheat and cigarettes to Norway have increased. Among the food products readily imported by Norwegians there are also vegetables and fruit, including apples. And as you know, Poland has great potential in terms of the production of this fruit.

Export from the EU to Norway - on what basis?

Please note that Norway is not fully covered by the European Customs Union. As a result, some regulations differ from those in force in the European Union (which should be known by both entrepreneurs and tourists visiting Norway).

Economic cooperation between Poland and Norway is carried out on the basis of the agreement between the European Economic Community (EEC) and the Kingdom of Norway (May 14, 1973), the agreement between the Republic of Poland and the Kingdom of Norway on mutual support and protection of investments (May 1990) and the convention between the Republic of Poland and the Kingdom of Norway on the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of tax evasion with regard to taxes on income (September 2009).

However, the free trade agreement concluded between the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway does not apply to agri-food products. Although Norway itself is not able to satisfy its food needs and is eagerly looking towards European food, it tries to protect its own producers. For this reason, imports of agri-food products in Norway are subject to relatively high tariffs. Added to this is VAT (15%) and potential additional fees and taxes (excise duty on alcohol or fees for products with chocolate and sugar), which slightly complicates the entire trading process and, of course, affects the final price of a European product in a Norwegian retail store.

As regards trade in agricultural products, the Polish side has adopted the terms and conditions of trade in processed agricultural products set out in Protocol 2 and Protocol 3 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area. In the case of unprocessed agricultural products, an additional EU quota was created under the Agreement on the European Economic Area, partially covering the concessions that the Polish side received unilaterally from Norway.

Export to Norway - products subject to special restrictions

Although the general procedures for exporting to Norway are not the most complex and complicated, there are certain categories of products that are subject to specific and more stringent rules in the Kingdom of Norway. These are:

  • Food products (including fruit and vegetables),
  • Tobacco products,
  • Alcohol,
  • Medicines and medical devices,
  • Cosmetics,
  • Weapon,
  • Plants and grains,
  • Animals.

Customs procedure

What is the customs procedure for entrepreneurs sending their products to Norway? First of all, the economic operator should have an EORI number. It is also important to present an invoice and a packing slip for clearance. These documents should contain data such as:

  • sender receiver,
  • invoice number and its date of issue,
  • unit price and total value of goods,
  • quantity,
  • terms of delivery according to Incoterms,
  • country of origin,
  • gross weight,
  • net weight,
  • total number of packages.

If the total value of the invoice is less than EUR 6,000, it is possible to apply a declaration of preferential origin - its template is included in Protocol No. 4A of the Journal of Laws of the European Union L260 / 3. The declaration should bear the date, place of issue and legible signature of the issuer.

If you are preparing to transport food to Norway, be sure to check the current regulations on the website of the Norwegian Food Safety Agency. It should be remembered that when exporting food, it is necessary to obtain a prior authorization from the Norwegian Customs Office. When exporting food to Norway, you should also report to the Norwegian Food Sanitary Authority - Mattiilsynet (www.mattilsynet.no).

ATA carnet and food exports to Norway

The ATA carnet is a special, international customs document that allows customs clearance of goods exported for acquisition and exhibition purposes, as well as professional equipment. Its main advantage is the elimination of the complicated customs procedure associated with the temporary procedure. The ATA carnet is eagerly used by entrepreneurs planning to present their products at, for example, fairs and exhibitions organized in a given country.

While the ATA carnet is most acceptable in Norway, it cannot be used by producers of agri-food products. This is due to the reasons mentioned above: the inclusion of this category of goods in the list of "special products" and the issue of protecting local producers who could simply be crushed by European competition.

So if a food producer plans to participate in fairs taking place in Norway, unfortunately he is forced to undergo the traditional customs procedure. It is important as it takes longer, and therefore the whole project should be prepared well in advance.

Is it worth exporting food to Norway?

Is it worth exporting food to Norway despite high customs duties and a complicated procedure? It is difficult to give an unambiguous answer, but statistics show that the export of food products is constantly increasing. There are also more and more companies offering assistance in matters of exports to Scandinavia, which is a response to the growing interest of producers in this market.

It should be remembered that Norway belongs to one of the richest European countries, and Norwegian consumers (who have statistically higher earnings than consumers from other European countries) are interested in diversified, high-quality products and personalized products, tailored to their personal needs and preferences. Hence, despite the high prices of European products in Norwegian stores, the interest in them is not low.

The specificity of Norwegian industry should also be taken into account. Firstly, shipping and shipbuilding, the wood industry, electricity production, aluminum processing and the gas and oil production sector dominate. The share of the food sector is considerable, but it mainly concerns fishing and fish processing.

In the case of producers of the remaining food categories, Norway is characterized by strong quantitative dominance by small enterprises, which are often simply family businesses. Despite high customs duties, Polish food companies are able to compete with them.

Finally, there is the issue of competition with food producers from other EU countries. Norway is no stranger to the belief that Polish food products are of high quality and that they are produced in a relatively natural and healthy way (which is an important factor for many Norwegians). This is another aspect that should be taken into account when planning to ship products to Norway and which speaks in favor of Polish food exporters to Scandinavia.