China begins weekly Arctic container shipping service to Europe

China began regular weekly summer container shipping to Europe via Arctic waters on Saturday, offering exporters a seasonal alternative that can cut the journey from Ningbo to the United Kingdom to about 20 days.

The container ship "Dubai Tower", operated by Haijie Shipping, departed Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in east China's Zhejiang Province on Saturday, marking the start of regular weekly operations on the China-Europe Arctic Express following a trial voyage last year.

The service will sail along Russia's Northern Sea Route before calling at ports including Felixstowe in Britain, Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Hamburg in Germany and Gdynia in Poland.

The first voyage is carrying Chinese-made energy-storage units, solar equipment and other high-value, temperature-sensitive goods from manufacturing hubs in the Yangtze River Delta, targeting European peak-season demand.

"Our trials last year showed that we could get from Ningbo to Felixstowe in 20 days, which is almost 20 days faster than traditional routes. The Arctic route also helps protect temperature-sensitive cargo from the extreme summer heat it can face on routes through the Suez Canal or around the Cape of Good Hope. And it helps us avoid congestion, unreliable schedules and higher costs," said Fang Yi, CEO of Haijie Shipping.

The route's commercial appeal lies in shorter transit times and a potential reduction in inventory and delivery risks for exporters. But it is restricted by seasonal ice, with the main navigation window generally running from July to October.

Operators expect to deploy up to eight ice-strengthened vessels on the route this season. The ships will use real-time ice monitoring and adjust their routes to navigate changing weather and ice conditions, according to the company.

China begins weekly Arctic container shipping service to Europe

China's border inspection authorities processed a total of 499 million inbound and outbound passenger trips in the first eight months of 2026, up 8.7 percent year on year, official data showed on Thursday.

Of the total, 242 million entries and exits were made by mainland residents, 196 million made by Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents, and 61.287 million made by foreign nationals, up 10 percent, 8.9 percent and 19.5 percent year on year, respectively.

Among foreign nationals entering China, 23.72 million entered visa-free, accounting for 77.6 percent of all foreign entries and marking a 26.8 percent increase year on year.

Border authorities inspected 28.148 million trips by various means of transportation, up 15 percent year on year. This included 665,000 flight trips, 75,000 train trips, 306,000 ship journeys, and 27.102 million motor vehicle trips, up 0.5 percent, 5.6 percent, 4.1 percent and 15.6 percent over the same period of last year, respectively. In recent years, the National Immigration Administration has rolled out a series of measures to facilitate cross-border movement of people and support high-level opening-up and high-quality development. These measures have significantly shortened clearance times for both Chinese and foreign travelers and transportation vehicles, while continuously improving port clearance convenience.

China sees surge in cross-border passenger trips in first eight months