Chinese shipping firm to launch first regular Arctic container service

Chinese container shipping company Sea Legend, which focuses on the Turkish and North African markets, is set to launch the first regular container shipping service through the Arctic this week.

The weekly service, dubbed the “Ice Silk Road,” will run along Russia’s northern coast between Ningbo in eastern China and Felixstowe in the United Kingdom, the Financial Times reports. 

The Arctic route could roughly halve the standard 40-day sailing time between the two ports, although the actual duration will depend on conditions in the Arctic.

The move follows a record 23 transits of Russia’s Northern Sea Route last summer, up from 15 in 2024. During the summer months, sea ice retreats far enough to allow some vessels to navigate the route without requiring icebreaker capabilities.

“There’s been a definite increase in traffic through the Arctic and Northern Sea Route,” said Rahul Khanna, global head of marine risk consulting at insurer Allianz. “Vessels and shipowners now see it as more of an opportunity, first to save a lot of time and cost” but also to “take out all the geopolitical chokepoints and conflict zones”, he said.

China has also identified the Arctic as an important component of its long-term shipping strategy. In a 2018 white paper on its Arctic policy, Beijing said it was ready to work with all parties to build an “Ice Silk Road” by developing and using Arctic shipping routes.

The Northern Sea Route is the main maritime corridor in the Russian Arctic, running along Russia’s northern coastline through the seas of the Arctic Ocean.

By Sabina Mammadli