Chinese port launches 18-day Arctic shipping route to UK

By Elías Thorsson August 18, 2025
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ZHOUSHAN, CHINA – JUNE 29: Aerial view of shipping containers sitting stacked at Zhoushan Port on June 29, 2025 in Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province of China. (Photo by Zou Xunyong/VCG 

China’s Ningbo–Zhoushan Port is preparing to open a new container shipping route to Europe that will cut travel times to less than three weeks by sailing through the Northeast Passage.

The service, scheduled to begin September 20, 2025, will link Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Felixstowe, Rotterdam, Hamburg and Gdansk, according to the China-CEEC Customs Information Center.

Unlike conventional routes via the Suez Canal or around Africa, which can take 40 to 50 days, the new Arctic service will complete the voyage in just 18 days. That is also a week faster than the China–Europe rail service, which averages more than 25 days.

The ships assigned to the route are ice-strengthened container vessels with a capacity of 4,890 TEUs. They are equipped with ice-breaking technology and polar navigation systems designed to ensure safe transit through the northern sea lanes.

The timing of the service is tailored to Europe’s holiday season logistics. Ningbo–Zhoushan Port officials noted that direct berthing and accelerated container handling will help meet demand for e-commerce and seasonal goods.

With 308 container shipping routes already in operation, including 24 express lines, the addition of the new Arctic passage is a pivotal part of Ningbo’s ambition to expand its role as a global logistics hub.