NEWS

Liv Ullmann and Innovation Norway are honored at an event featuring Norwegian royalty.

It all started with fish. Long a staple of the Norwegians’ diet, it has also been one of the country’s largest export items, especially to the U.S. In 1915, with Norway just a decade old as an independent nation, the export to and import of items from America were threatened by the advent of World War I. The U.S. imposed an embargo on exports to Norway, fearing it could end up in enemy hands.

Out of this impasse arose the Norwegian American Chamber of Commerce.

“Norway was a young country in 1915,” said Inger M. Tallaksen, who has been involved with the NACC for 35 years, the last 27 as General Manager. “Fish (herring, mackerel, sardines, dry cod, and fish balls) was a main export of Norway. Shipping, shipbuilding, and banking were also important. In those days you could see a Norwegian ship in every port on the East Coast. The embargo impacted Norwegian trade. With the threat of the embargo and its dire consequences for Norway, the Chamber initiated trade negotiations in Washington, D.C., by inviting a delegation led by (Arctic explorer and Nobel Peace Prize recipient) Fridtjof Nansen. As a result of these negotiations, NACC was authorized to issue certification of cargo. The stamp from NACC was very important because it meant the cargo could not be searched and taken by warring countries. After World War I, NACC continued to fight for lower taxes and tariffs on items imported into the U.S. from Norway.”