New Arctic Route Offers Secure China-Europe Corridor, Operator Says
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A new container shipping route has opened through the Arctic, which will potentially be the fastest commercial sea voyage between China and Europe, according to operator Hong Kong-registered Sea Legend Line Ltd.
A Sea Legend cargo ship set sail from Ningbo Zhoushan Port in eastern China on Sept. 23 bound for the U.K. The vessel passed through the Sea of Japan on Friday before entering the Bering Strait, traversing the Arctic Ocean’s Northeast Passage and heading down into the North Sea, making no port calls until it arrives at the Port of Felixstowe on Oct. 11, completing its journey in as short as 18 days, according to the shipper.
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- Sea Legend Line launched a new Arctic container shipping route from China to the UK, completing the trip in as little as 18 days—faster than the 25-day rail and 40-day Suez Canal routes.
- The route is tailored for high-value, time-sensitive cargo but is costlier than sea alternatives, though cheaper than rail, and faces seasonal, navigational, safety, and geopolitical challenges.
- The Arctic route operates July–November, with plans for weekly service, reflecting China’s ongoing Arctic trade interests and development initiatives.
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- Sea Legend Line Ltd.
- Sea Legend Line Ltd. is a Hong Kong-registered company that has launched a new container shipping route through the Arctic, aiming to be the fastest commercial sea voyage between China and Europe. Founded in 2022, it is the second Chinese-backed private firm to offer an Arctic route. Their new service, catering to high-value and time-sensitive cargo, promises to connect China to the U.K. in as short as 18 days.
- Ningbo Zhoushan Port Co. Ltd.
- Ningbo Zhoushan Port Co. Ltd. (601018.SH) launched a 26-day direct shipping route from Zhoushan to Wilhelmshaven, Germany, in late 2024. This was an attempt to find faster alternatives to traditional China-Europe shipping routes, although Sea Legend's new Arctic line is even quicker.
- New New Shipping
- New New Shipping is a Chinese-backed private firm that launched regular Arctic shipping services between China and Russia in 2023. It was the first such private Chinese company to do so, preceding Sea Legend, which also recently opened an Arctic route.
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