Chinese ship sets off for Europe through Arctic

Business Recorder reported that a Chinese container vessel, the Dubai Tower, left the port of Ningbo on Saturday evening and headed north for Europe through the Arctic. The ship will pass through the Bering Strait before turning west along Russia's northern coast. A timetable published by Sea Legend shows arrival at Felixstowe in the United Kingdom on September 7, followed by calls at Hamburg in Germany and Gdynia in Poland later that week.

The northern route is considerably quicker than the Suez Canal passage and lets vessels bypass the Red Sea, where Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have targeted shipping. It is usable only part of the year, once ice has melted enough to permit transit without icebreakers. Global sea trade has already been heavily disrupted by the conflict in the Middle East, which began in late February with American and Israeli attacks on Iran.

Other operators, including Maersk, have used the route before. Allianz Commercial's shipping analysis put the number of container ship transits at 23 last year, compared with 15 in 2024. Environmental groups warn that a rise in traffic could hasten the loss of Arctic sea ice, which is already under pressure from warmer global temperatures. Major carriers such as CMA CGM, MSC and Hapag-Lloyd have pledged to steer clear of Arctic transshipment routes, while analysts say the region could become an important future trade corridor for China.