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China is ever closer to Europe, thanks to the Arctic route

The Chinese freighter 'Istanbul Bridge' has just made its first commercial voyage through the Arctic to reach Europe. Thanks to what has also been called the new silk road, the navigation time between the Asian giant and Europe will be reduced by more than a third from the usual route (the Suez Canal), which will open up new opportunities for Chinese giants such as Aliexpress, Shein or Temu.

El portacontenedores Istanbul Bridge a su llegada al puerto de Gdansk (Polonia) el pasado 19 de octubre de 2025, tras salir de China y llegar tras cruzar el Ártico.
Istanbul bridge container ship arrived at the port of Gdansk, Poland, on 19 October. Photo: EFE

China has been looking for a new silk road for a long time, and it is getting closer and closer to fulfilling its dream. The northern route that will cross the Arctic will allow it to significantly reduce shipping times and costs.

The North Road will openup new opportunities to Chinese giants like Aliexpress, Shein or Temu. 

The Chinese freighter Istanbul Bridge completes its first commercial voyage through the Arctic to reach Europe . The ship arrived at the Polish port of Gdansk on 19 October, opening the new trade route between Europe and the Arctic Ocean, dubbed the China-Europe Arctic Express Route

The freighter left China on 23 September and made stops in the United Kingdom (Felixstowe) and Germany (Hamburg) before arriving at the port of Gdansk (Poland). 

The Chinese shipping company Sea Legend Shipping has explained to the Global Times that the new route offers significant temporary advantages, adding that regular travel will begin in 2026, once a week or fortnightly, in the navigable part of the area. 

In addition, the company plans to use this route in the future throughout the year. 

According to the company, crossing the Arctic could reduce carbon emissions by about 30% compared to the Suez Canal. 

In 2023, another Chinese vessel, Newnew Shipping, carried out a similar pilot journey along the northern route (NSR) with the help of Russia, but without a regular character. 

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