How China’s ‘Arctic Express’ poses challenge to Western dominance

Could a single shipping route shift both trade flows and geopolitical influence? China’s new “Arctic Express” to Europe leverages melting ice to bypass chokepoints and challenge Western dominance.

In a significant step for Arctic commercial shipping, China’s Haijie Shipping Company will launch the first regular container service linking Asia and Northern Europe via the Northern Sea Route on September 20. The Istanbul Bridge, with a 4,890 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) capacity and a low ice class, can safely travel through ice-free summer waters.

The route connects three Chinese ports – Qingdao, Shanghai and Ningbo – to Britain’s Felixstowe, Rotterdam, Hamburg and Poland’s Gdansk. By navigating the Northern Sea Route and bypassing Russian ports, it cuts the journey from Ningbo-Zhoushan to Felixstowe to just 18 days. That is faster than the 40-day shipment time through the Suez Canal, 50-plus days sailing around the Horn of Africa and 25 days travelling overland via the China-Europe rail line.

The inaugural voyage, already fully booked, likely targets time-sensitive cargo, reducing inventory costs and enabling faster delivery. Its timing also avoids congestion at major ports, allowing quicker turnover of goods and capital.

Reports suggest that the shipping container will operate seasonally from late July to early November given the ice conditions. Plans are under way to deploy higher ice-class vessels, enabling potential year-round service and further integrating the Arctic corridor into China’s broader trade network.

There are clear benefits for China. The Arctic Express to northern Europe boosts China’s commercial competitiveness, strengthens its role in global supply chains and enhances supply chain resilience. By cutting transit and storage times, it enables faster delivery of high-value, time-sensitive exports, lowers shipping costs and allows quicker responses to market fluctuations.

South China Morning Post