Trading Partner Portal: Norway
Overview
Trade Overview
Norway is located in northern Europe and is a part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The majority of the country shares a border with Sweden in the east and its northernmost region is bordered by Finland. With a population of over 5.57 million, covering 323,802 square kilometers, Norway is one of the most sparsely populated countries in Europe.
Norway has one of the most financially healthy economies in the world, in part due to its status as one of the world’s largest exporters of crude oil and natural gas. It has a GDP of $483.73 billion in 2024, which has been decreasing the past several years. Other major industries, such as shipping, shipbuilding, fishing and fish farming, information technology, pulp and paper products, and light metals processing have prospered as well. Incomes are also more evenly distributed, making every person a consumer, unemployment rates and interest rates are low.
U.S. – Norway Trade
Norway has close ties to the United States, the overall economic and trade relationship is strong, and Norway’s import climate is generally open and receptive to U.S. products and investments.
In 2025, two-way trade between the United States and Norway was $11.14 billion, with the U.S. exporting $4.52 billion. Top exports included transportation equipment ($771 million), computer and electronic products ($725 million), petroleum oil and gas ($610 million), non-electrical machinery ($465 million), and chemicals ($463 million).
In the same year, the United States imported $6.62 billion, and top imports included petroleum and coal products ($916 million), fish and other marine products ($836 million), chemicals ($802 million), livestock & livestock products ($726 million), and primary metals ($666 million).
Total services trade between the United States and Norway was $5.81 billion in 2025, with exports totaling $3.10 billion. Top exports included travel, telecommunications, computer &information services, financial services, other business services, and transport services.
Imports in services from Norway to the U.S. totaled $3.71 billion in 2025, with top imports begin travel, transport services, other business services, telecommunications, computer & information services, and personal, cultural, and recreational services.
California – Norway Trade
In 2025, California exported $380 million to Norway. Top exports included transportation equipment ($161 million), computer and electrical products ($83 million), agricultural products ($32 million), non-electrical machinery ($27 million), and electrical equipment, appliances, & components ($20 million).
That same year, California imported nearly $661 million from Norway. Top imports from Norway to California included livestock and livestock products ($252 million), fish and other marine products ($97 million), chemicals ($95 million), processed foods ($85 million), and computer & electronic products ($48 million).
FDI – Norway
In 2024 Norway’s FDI position in the U.S. was $47.74 billion, while U.S. direct investment position in Norway totaled $12.61 billion the same year. Norwegian FDI supported 8,700 jobs in the U.S. and contributed $33 million to research and development, along with $276.4 billion in expanding U.S. exports. Top industry sectors of Norwegian FDI were software and IT services, industrial equipment, transportation, business services, energy, and electronic components. Select USA
Norway and California are both west coast economies with a beautiful coastline. There are over 342,000 individuals of Norwegian descent living in California. UC Berkley has strong ties with Norway via the Peder Sather Center for Advanced Study. Peder Sather (1810 – 1886) was a prominent Norwegian-born American banker who is best known for his legacy to UCB. His widow donated funding in his memory for two of the school’s most famous landmarks, Sather Gate and Staher Tower, which is more commonly known as The Campanile. There is also a Norwegian Consulate in San Francisco, which opened in 1906. Earl Warren, former California Governor and Chief Justice of the United States was of also Norwegian descent.
Useful Links
Useful links
2019 Nordic-U.S. M&A Study
Alston & Bird, April 8, 2020
Minifacts about Norway 2015 (from Statistics Norway)
Nordic Innovation House (Nordic start-ups in the Bay Area)
Events
Events
Norway & California Sign Agreements to Further Climate Collaboration
His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon of Norway visited California and on April 16 oversaw the signing of two climate change agreements with Governor Gavin Newson.
A new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) advances climate collaboration. The MOU outlines four years of cooperation between California and Norway on clean energy, zero-emission transportation and ports, carbon removal and climate-smart agriculture.
CalChamber Hosts Norwegian Parliament – September 15, 2016
The numerous areas that affect trade and investment between Norway and California were the subject of a lively exchange on September 15, 2016 at a luncheon meeting between the California Chamber of Commerce, Parliament of Norway, Consulate General of Norway, and the Northern California World Trade Center. The lunch was part of a weeklong tour of Northern California by the Norwegian Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce and Industry.
CalChamber International Forum on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
On May 27, 2015, the California Chamber of Commerce held an International Forum on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and the Transpacific Partnership with speakers including members of the United States Chamber of Commerce, representatives from five American Chambers of Commerce from abroad, and two ambassadors. Also in attendance was a delegation totaling 25 members of the AmCham community representing Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, and Turkey.