Chinese shipping company launches regular
Photo: David Goldman/AP/TT

Chinese shipping company launches regular Arctic route to UK

The Arctic has become a faster alternative for ships carrying goods between Europe and Asia, reports the Financial Times. This week, the Chinese Sea Legend will begin regular traffic on what the shipping company calls the “ice side route” through the Arctic Ocean.

The shipping company will transport containers between Ningbo in China and Felixstowe in the UK. The route through the Arctic will cut the usual 40-day journey by about half.

The Arctic Ocean is attractive to shipowners who want to avoid bottlenecks such as the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea, where the Houthi movement has once again begun to threaten shipping.

Danish Mærsk was the first to sail through the Arctic in 2018, but like several other European shipping companies, it has promised not to use the route for environmental reasons.

Last summer, 23 trips were made through the Arctic, compared with 15 in 2024.

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AuthorTT News AgencyEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for our readers

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