Archive · 15 Aug 2026
China's New Arctic Route Is A 20-Day Voyage To Europe
A Chinese shipping company called Sea Legend is starting a new shipping route across the top of the world.
Ships will sail through the Arctic Ocean, near Russia, where the water is very cold and icy.
This route is much shorter, so the trip takes about 20 days instead of 40 days.
The first ship left the Chinese city of Ningbo and is heading to Britain.
It is a big ship carrying about 1,700 containers of goods and a crew of 20 people.
The trip is about 12,000 kilometres long and takes around three weeks.
Ships can only use this route in summer, when the ice melts enough.
The route is controlled by Russia, and Russian nuclear-powered icebreakers help ships get through.
Some European companies do not want to use it because they do not want to depend on Russia while it is fighting a war with Ukraine.
Many ships are also avoiding the usual route through the Red Sea because of attacks, so companies are looking for new ways to move goods.
Chinese shipping company Sea Legend is launching weekly sailings along the Northern Sea Route, cutting the voyage between Ningbo and Felixstowe from about 40 days to about 20 days.
The first vessel, a 35,000-tonne container ship carrying about 1,700 containers and a crew of 20, left Ningbo on Friday on the roughly 12,000-kilometre journey.
The Moscow-controlled route runs along Russia's northern coastline, and access is overseen by Rosatom, Russia's state-owned nuclear energy company.
Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea since late 2023 have forced major container lines to largely avoid the Suez Canal, with more than 95 per cent of Asia-Europe container traffic diverted around the Cape of Good Hope.
European companies have pledged to stay away from the Russian-controlled waterway while Moscow is at war with Ukraine, while South Korea's PanStar is expected to conduct a trial voyage later this month.
- Who
- Sea Legend, a Chinese shipping company, is running the service, while the Northern Sea Route is controlled by Russia and overseen by Rosatom.
- What
- A new container shipping service along the Northern Sea Route that cuts the voyage between Ningbo, China, and Felixstowe, Britain, from about 40 days to about 20 days.
- When
- Regular sailings begin this weekend; the first vessel left Ningbo on Friday, and the service is planned to run once a week for about two months.
- Where
- Along the Northern Sea Route, which runs along Russia's northern coastline, connecting Ningbo in eastern China with Felixstowe in Britain.
- Why
- Global conflicts, tariffs and disruption around established trade routes, including Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, have pushed shipping companies to look for faster alternatives.
Proponents of the Arctic route
Critics of the Arctic route
Motivation behind the route
Proponents of the Arctic route
The route is a commercial move to shorten voyages from about 40 days to 20 days amid global conflicts, tariffs and disruption around established trade routes.
Critics of the Arctic route
Shipping analyst Peter Sand says the route probably has as much to do with security policy and claiming territory in the Arctic as with actual trade.
Using a Moscow-controlled waterway
Proponents of the Arctic route
The route offers the fastest possible sea link between East Asia and northwestern Europe and has helped Russia maintain trade while providing China with another source of energy.
Critics of the Arctic route
European companies have pledged to stay away from a waterway controlled by Moscow while Russia is at war with Ukraine, and Western capitals worry China's presence could have strategic or military implications.
- Shipping company
- Sea Legend
- Route
- Ningbo (China) to Felixstowe (Britain)
- Voyage distance
- Roughly 12,000 kilometres (7,500 miles)
- Voyage time
- About 20 days, down from about 40 days
- First vessel
- 35,000-tonne container ship carrying about 1,700 containers with a crew of 20
- Service frequency
- Once a week for about two months during the Arctic summer
- Route operator
- Overseen by Rosatom, Russia's state-owned nuclear energy company
- Red Sea disruption
- More than 95% of Asia-Europe container traffic diverted around the Cape of Good Hope