https://en.people.cn/n3/2025/1020/c90000-20379353.html

On Oct. 14, the “Istanbul Bridge,” operated by Sea Legend Line Limited, docked at the Port of Felixstowe, the UK’s largest container port. The vessel carried 4,890 containers loaded with photovoltaic modules, energy storage systems, and cross-border e-commerce goods. Departing from Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, it navigated the Arctic Northeast Passage, completing the journey to Europe in just 20 days. The Arctic Express will operate from July to November each year, with plans to deploy larger vessels and increase voyage frequency to further enhance trade connectivity

The new route provides faster and more sustainable logistics solutions for China’s high-end manufacturing, cross-border e-commerce, and new energy industries. Compared with traditional routes, the Arctic Express reduces travel time by up to 22 days and lowers carbon emissions per voyage by approximately 50 percent, according to a representative from Ningbo Zhoushan Port Group.

Shipping costs via the Arctic Express are claimed to be approximately 40 percent lower than those of the China-Europe freight train,

In the first eight months of this year, China-EU trade reached 3.88 trillion yuan, up 4.3 percent year on year and accounting for 13.1 percent of China’s total foreign trade. Industry experts suggest the Arctic Express, as the third maritime corridor between China and Europe, will deepen trade ties, particularly in high-end manufacturing and the new energy sector.