Summary of the Core Content in Plain Language
This news article discusses a very counterintuitive new consumption trend: Salmon, which was previously associated with high-end Japanese restaurants, has become an absolute bestseller in China over the past two years. By 2025, China's annual consumption of salmon had soared to second place in the world, with 182,000 tons consumed, a 50% increase from the previous year, and the growth rate in the first quarter of 2026 reached an astonishing 61%. The main driving force behind this surge is not the increasing number of Japanese restaurants, but rather ordinary households buying salmon to eat at home. This growth coincided with a global decline in salmon prices, and domestic retail channels began to sell salmon in smaller portions, making it more accessible to consumers in even inland provinces like Qinghai and Xinjiang. As a result, the entire business logic of salmon in China has completely changed.
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Detailed Explanation of Each Point
1. The First Counterintuitive Fact: The Surge in Salmon Sales Has Little to Do with Japanese Restaurants
Many people still think that Japanese restaurants are the main consumers of salmon. However, this is no longer the case. Before the pandemic, 85% of salmon in China was consumed in restaurants, with Japanese restaurants accounting for the majority. In the past two years, the number of Japanese restaurants increased by only 6,000 out of a total of 48,800 to 54,200, which is not enough to account for the additional consumption of tens of thousands of tons. In reality, 60% of salmon is now bought by consumers for home consumption. Retailers have taken advantage of consumers' desire for convenience, cutting salmon into smaller portions (80g or 100g) and reducing the price per serving to around 20-35 yuan, which is comparable to the cost of a cup of milk tea or a fast-food meal. Consumers can easily purchase salmon at supermarkets or online shopping platforms on their way home from work. Even in inland cities like Yibin, which are far from the coast, 4,000 servings of raw salmon were sold during the National Day holiday, demonstrating the vast potential of the lower-tier markets.
2. China’s Position as the Second-Largest Market in the World Came from a Rare Price Opportunity
If salmon had remained at its high prices from previous years, no one would have been willing to buy it, even in smaller portions. The growth in consumption coincided with a rare supply surplus in the global salmon industry. In 2025, Norway and Chile, the two largest salmon-producing countries, both had bumper harvests, with a 12% increase in total production, the highest increase in five years. This surplus led to a drop in prices. Meanwhile, the desire of American buyers to purchase salmon decreased due to tariffs and exchange rate fluctuations, prompting overseas suppliers to focus on the rapidly growing Chinese market. Norway's exports to China doubled. Even though salmon prices increased by 8% in the second half of 2026, Chinese consumers continued to buy it, with July seeing a record monthly export volume from Norway.
3. Domestic Retailers Have Redefined the Value Chain of Salmon
Previously, the salmon industry was very straightforward: Overseas fisheries caught the fish and flew them to China, where restaurants sold them at higher prices as a luxury ingredient, with most of the profit going to foreign suppliers. Now, domestic retailers have optimized the value chain. They purchase salmon in medium sizes (4-6 kg) and process it into various products: the fattier parts are sold at higher prices, the thinner parts are used for affordable sashimi, and the scraps are used to make salmon chips and other ingredients. A single fish can now generate twice the previous total value. This shift has allowed domestic businesses to retain a larger share of the profit.
4. Inland Provinces Are Starting to Produce Salmon
China’s self-sufficiency rate for salmon is less than 30%, and high-quality Atlantic salmon used to rely entirely on imports from Norway and Chile. However, domestic salmon production has started to grow significantly. Provinces like Qinghai, Xinjiang, and Gansu are large-scale salmon and trout farms. In 2025, Qinghai alone produced 19,000 tons, accounting for 40% of China’s total production. Domestic salmon, especially rainbow trout, is even being exported to countries like Japan and Singapore. Although the main type of domestic salmon is still rainbow trout, the advantage is the short transportation distance. While Norwegian salmon takes over a week to reach China by air, fish from Qinghai can be delivered to consumers in Wuhan or Chengdu the next day, maintaining higher freshness and costing about one-third less than imported salmon. Qingdao has also established specialized salmon farming facilities, and if production capacity doubles in another two years, China may be able to further reduce salmon prices.
5. The Consumption of Salmon in China Is Far from Peak
Although China is now the second-largest salmon market in the world, salmon still accounts for a very small portion of the total aquatic product consumption, which exceeds 76.5 million tons annually. Salmon consumption is mainly limited to young people in urban areas; the majority of consumers in lower-tier markets have not yet adopted it. Similar to how cherries and imported steaks were once considered luxury items, salmon is likely to become a common ingredient in everyday diets. The market for salmon has significant room for growth, with the potential to more than double in size.