(Yicai) July 2 -- China has introduced a direct air cargo route to Norway for the first time, bringing trade ties between the two nations closer and cementing China's position is the biggest buyer of the Scandinavian country's salmon in Asia.

A freight plane made a maiden flight to Oslo from Nanchang in eastern Jiangxi province today, state broadcaster CCTV News reported. There will be three round trip flights a week, and each flight can carry 60 tons of wares.

The planes will mainly carry e-commerce goods to Norway and come back loaded with Norwegian salmon. The flight route operator was not mentioned.

China overtook Japan and South Korea to become Norway’s biggest export destination in Asia for fresh salmon last year, with exports soaring 65 percent year on year, according to the Norwegian Seafood Council.

China is the second fast-growing market for Norwegian seafood, Christian Chramer, chief executive officer of the council, said in May. The big jump in sales last year was due to a rebound in consumption after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Norway’s exports to China tumbled in March as competition with Chile and New Zealand heated up, but then recovered slightly in April, Chramer said. Business in China has grown steadily in the last few years due to long-term partnerships with Chinese retailers, importers, restaurants and hotels.

Editor: Kim Taylor