The world's first China-Europe Arctic express container route has officially launched!

At 4:30 a.m. on September 23rd, the vessel "Istanbul Bridge" departed from the Beilun Port area of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, bound for the Port of Flixstowe in the UK, marking the official launch of the world's first China-Europe Arctic express container route.

The previous day (September 22nd), the vessel had already loaded over 1,000 TEUs at Beilun Port, with cargo including high-end Chinese manufacturing products, cross-border e-commerce goods, and new energy components.

This route, which operates via the Northeast Passage in the Arctic, takes just 18 days one way to the Port of Flixstowe, significantly reducing the time taken by traditional China-Europe shipping routes (over 30 days). It also surpasses the time record set by Ningbo-Zhoushan Port's "China-Europe Express" route (26 days to Wilhelmshaven, Germany), which will launch at the end of 2024, solidifying its hub status. As a key achievement of the "Polar Silk Road" under the Belt and Road Initiative, the Arctic route reduces journey time by 30% compared to traditional routes and reduces carbon emissions per voyage by approximately 20%, aligning with the low-carbon trend.

For Chinese industries, the new route can shorten the supply chain cycle for high-end manufacturing, reduce replenishment time for overseas warehouses for cross-border e-commerce, and help new energy products meet European environmental standards, bringing tangible benefits. Ningbo-Zhoushan Port plans to increase flights and expand into European ports to further serve China-Europe trade.