China Completes First Season of Regular Arctic Container Service

Eight planned sailings carried high-value exports through the Northern Sea Route, with service to resume next summer.

China has completed the first season of regular weekly container shipping between China and Europe via the Northern Sea Route, with the operator completing all eight sailings planned for 2026 before ending departures slightly earlier than scheduled because of Arctic ice forecasts.

Sea Legend Shipping launched its China-Europe Arctic Express in August, deploying seven ice-strengthened container ships for eight weekly westbound voyages from Ningbo-Zhoushan and other Chinese ports.

The final two vessels departed Ningbo on Sept. 27, completing the year’s planned departures. The sailings