Finding Norwegian Business Partners from China

The framework: no trade agreement yet

China and Norway have negotiated a bilateral free trade agreement for many years. As of August 2026, Norwegian Customs lists the Norway–China agreement as still under negotiation, so there is no agreement in force and ordinary tariffs apply. Because Norway is not in the EU, EU trade arrangements with China do not apply to it either; but because Norway is in the European Economic Area, EU product rules such as CE marking requirements largely apply in Norway as well.

Trade still flows in both directions. On the Norwegian export side, seafood stands out: according to Statistics Norway, Norway exported fish worth NOK 12.3 billion to China in 2025. On the import side, China is among the largest sources of Norway's imports of goods. For exact current totals by product, use Statistics Norway's trade tables (table 08804 for main figures by country).

Two directions, two kinds of search

Selling Chinese products into Norway

Most Chinese manufacturers reach Norwegian customers through one of these routes:

• Importers and wholesalers (industry group 46 in the Norwegian register) that already sell your product category to Norwegian retailers, contractors or industry.
• Retail chains and e-commerce companies with their own sourcing.
• Industrial and construction companies that buy components, materials and equipment directly.
• Agents who represent foreign manufacturers for a commission.

Search by the industry of the buyer, not your own. For example, a maker of LED lighting would look at electrical wholesalers, electrical contractors and lighting retailers rather than at other lighting manufacturers.

Buying from Norway

Chinese importers looking for Norwegian suppliers of seafood, technology or other products can use the same register in reverse: search for producers and exporters in the relevant industry, then check their size and accounts. Our guide to finding suppliers in Norway explains this in detail.

A practical method

1. Write down your target: which kind of Norwegian company should buy from you, or sell to you.
2. Build a list from Norway's open company register, Enhetsregisteret. Propler's free company search filters a nightly copy of the register by industry group, region, legal form, employees and more. In the AI search (free account) you can describe your product in plain language and get suggested Norwegian companies with reasons. Suggestions are decision support, not proof of a buying need.
3. Check each company: active status, legal form, filed annual accounts (revenue and result show whether a company can handle your volumes), CEO and board, and its own website. See our Norwegian company data guide.
4. Prioritise companies with signs of activity, such as growth or hiring.
5. Make a specific first contact in English: why this company, what you offer, and a simple next step such as samples or a price list.

The full method, including Norway's consent rule for e-mail marketing to individuals, is in our guide to finding business partners in Norway from abroad.

What Norwegian buyers will ask you

Norwegian buyers, particularly larger ones, often run structured supplier checks. Preparing for them is the most useful thing you can do:

• Human rights and working conditions. Norway's Transparency Act, in force since 1 July 2022, requires larger enterprises to carry out due diligence on human rights and decent working conditions in their own operations, supply chains and business partners, and to publish an account of it. Anyone can ask such a company for information about how it handles risks. As a supplier, expect questionnaires, requests for audits and questions about your own sub-suppliers.
• Product compliance. Through the EEA Agreement, many EU product rules apply in Norway. Have your CE documentation, test reports and safety data ready where they apply.
• Clear commercial terms. Incoterms, lead times, minimum order quantities, warranty and who handles customs clearance.
• Communication. A named contact person who answers quickly in English makes a large difference.

Who can help

• The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Beijing and Norway's consulates general in China, whose commercial staff follow trade between the countries (norway.no/china).
• Innovation Norway, which works abroad together with Norway's embassies and consulates and follows Norwegian companies active in its regions.
• The Norwegian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Oslo, a networking forum for Norwegian-Chinese business, and the Norwegian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. Check their current activities on their own channels.
• China's embassy in Oslo and Chinese trade promotion bodies for your sector.

Check a Norwegian buyer before you ship

Trust has to go both ways. Before you accept a large first order from a Norwegian company you have not worked with, spend ten minutes on the public record:

• Does the company exist and is it active? Look up its nine-digit organisation number in the register and check that it is not bankrupt, in liquidation or deleted. Be wary of buyers who cannot give you an organisation number.
• Does the name, address and website match what the buyer told you? Fraudsters sometimes use the name of a real Norwegian company with a different e-mail domain.
• Is the company large enough for the order? Filed annual accounts show revenue and equity. A company with very small revenue placing a very large order deserves extra questions.
• Who can sign? The register shows the CEO and the board. For large contracts, ask who has authority to sign for the company.
• Agree payment terms that match the risk, for example a deposit, a letter of credit or export credit insurance, until you know each other.

A word on trust

Many Norwegian companies are open to Chinese suppliers but cautious about who they work with. A verifiable company profile, references from European customers, factory audits by recognised third parties and a willingness to start with a small order all help. So does being honest about what you cannot deliver.

Where Propler fits

Propler is built to make it easier to see which Norwegian companies are relevant to what you offer or need, and why. It covers Norwegian companies only; it does not search Chinese companies. Read more on our About page and about the Norwegian market on the Norway market page.