HANGZHOU, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) — According to the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Ocean Economic Development on the 14th, the freighter “Istanbul Bridge”, which set sail from Ningbo Zhoushan Port on September 23, arrived at Felixstowe Port in the UK on the 13th local time, marking the successful maiden voyage of the world’s first China-Europe Arctic Container Express Route (“China-Europe Arctic Express”).
The “China-Europe Arctic Express” is the world’s first container route via the Arctic specifically designed for cross-border e-commerce and high-value-added goods. This seasonal route takes the Northern Sea Route (NSR) directly to Europe, ensuring the security of the third China-Europe supply chain corridor.
The opening of this route marks a significant “Zhejiang Moment” in global shipping history and serves as a microcosm of the province’s current efforts to accelerate the construction of a world-class strong port centered on Ningbo Zhoushan Port, actively building a strategic pivot for the domestic grand cycle and a strategic hub for dual domestic and international circulation.
Higher Efficiency
In international trade, timeliness is a key competitive factor.
It is reported that the planned sailing time for the “China-Europe Arctic Express” is 18 days. Affected by severe weather in the North Atlantic during this maiden voyage, the ship reduced speed, ultimately taking 2 days longer than originally planned. However, its transit time is still approximately 20 days shorter than traditional routes, with a direct reduction in single-voyage carbon emissions of about 50%.
At the end of last year, Ningbo Zhoushan Port opened the “China-Europe Express” route to Wilhelmshaven, Germany, setting a speed record of 26 days. Now, the “China-Europe Arctic Express” has broken that record again.
The Northern Sea Route taken by the “China-Europe Arctic Express” is an emerging international shipping artery connecting East Asia and Europe, holding strategic value for optimizing the global supply chain and promoting economic and trade cooperation along the route. The launch of this express route also signifies that the “final piece of the puzzle” in Ningbo Zhoushan Port’s global route network has been officially completed—from the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans to the Arctic Ocean, Ningbo Zhoushan Port now fully connects all major navigable oceans globally.
Building on the foundation of opening “China-Europe Express” routes such as Ningbo Zhoushan Port to Wilhelmshaven, Germany, and to Felixstowe Port, UK, Zhejiang has also explored the integration of “sea-rail combined transport and China-Europe Express” this year, achieving direct rail access to the port area. This allows goods to be loaded directly onto ships without the need for storage and secondary handling. Since March, the province has successively opened four sea-rail express routes, including Yiwu—Ningbo Zhoushan Port—Wilhelmshaven and Hefei—Ningbo Zhoushan Port—Wilhelmshaven.
Currently, Ningbo Zhoushan Port operates over 256 international container routes, including 24 sea express lines, with its route network covering more than 600 ports in over 200 countries and regions worldwide.
Broader Reach
As a “core” force in national strategies such as the joint construction of the “Belt and Road,” the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, the radiating and driving capacity of Ningbo Zhoushan Port is continuously strengthening.
For example, in June this year, the “Zhejiang e-Port Link” Yiwu Suxi Station was officially opened, integrating customs, port, and shipping affairs between the land port and sea port, achieving “single declaration, single inspection, and single release.”
“Entering our facility is equivalent to entering Ningbo Zhoushan Port,” said Shao Xiaojian, Party Secretary and Chairman of Zhejiang Yiwu Ports Co., Ltd., and Chairman of Zhejiang Seaport Yiwu Hub Co., Ltd. He stated that goods achieve seamless connection with Ningbo Zhoushan Port’s railway yards and container terminals at the Suxi Hub Port.
Since its launch in September 2024, the “Zhejiang e-Port Link” has cumulatively opened 24 stations, including Zhengzhou in Henan, Chongqing, and Xi’an in Shaanxi, forming a service network characterized by “comprehensive coverage in the Yangtze River Delta and key breakthroughs in the central and western regions,” marking the further extension of Zhejiang’s port services into inland hinterlands and key nodes.
More tangible results are reflected in a set of data: Thanks to the “Zhejiang e-Port Link,” average cargo transportation costs have decreased by 10%, average container repositioning time has been reduced by 2 days, the on-schedule loading rate for goods exceeds 95%, and the monthly average year-on-year growth of laden export containers at Ningbo Zhoushan Port has exceeded 7%.
On September 11, Ningbo Zhoushan Port’s annual container throughput exceeded 30 million TEUs, 23 days earlier than last year, setting another historical record.
Better Service
While strengthening the port’s role in “linking land and sea, connecting east and west,” Zhejiang has also made continuously optimizing the port services of Ningbo Zhoushan Port a key focus to accelerate the pace of building a “world-class strong port.”
In July this year, the 2025 Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Centre Development Index was released. Ningbo Zhoushan International Shipping Centre rose one place to rank seventh globally, setting a new record and achieving its fourth advancement in the past five years. This upward trend is closely linked to the continuous optimization of the port’s business environment.
As early as last year, Zhejiang began promoting reforms for building a world-class strong port, covering a list of 55 tasks. This year, the province clarified 46 reform tasks, pushing the reforms deeper.
For instance, on land, against the backdrop of China’s expanding exports of the “New Three” products (electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, photovoltaic products), Zhejiang introduced the “direct train” service reform for the “New Three,” starting with the small entry point of “simultaneous loading and inspection” to achieve a “no container change, no container opening, one container to destination” process from stuffing to loading onto the ship.
At sea, Zhejiang Province explored and implemented the “Container Shipping Punctuality and Cost Reduction” plan at Ningbo Zhoushan Port. By connecting operational information between major coastal hub ports nationwide and formulating and publishing vessel entry and exit plans in advance, it facilitates shipping companies to enter the port and berth on schedule based on the timetable. Currently, through the efforts of Zhejiang Maritime Safety Administration, 11 domestic container hub ports and 14 shipping companies with a total of 445 vessels have joined this plan. Participating vessels have cumulatively saved over 19,000 hours of waiting time in port and over 59,000 tons of fuel.
Through each reform and breakthrough, Zhejiang conveys its message to the world—opening up and striving for strength never cease.
“Zhejiang will actively create a port business environment with ‘the best service, lowest cost, and highest efficiency,’ coordinating both ‘hard construction’ and ‘soft enhancement.’ We will continue to exert efforts in infrastructure construction, international route development, logistics node layout, and shipping policy innovation, fully promoting the construction of a world-class strong port to a new level,” said a responsible official from the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Ocean Economic Development. (End)
