In Depth: Arctic Shippers Navigate Choppy Commercial Waters Despite Geopolitical Push

On Oct. 13, the ship Istanbul Bridge docked at Britain’s largest container port, marking the first complete voyage along a Chinese company’s new sea freight route through the thawing Arctic.

The Istanbul Bridge made the trip from Ningbo Zhoushan Port in eastern China to the Port of Felixstowe on England’s east coast in just 20 days. The trip could’ve been shorter if the ship had been able to run at a faster speed, said Li Xiaobin, chief operating officer of Hong Kong-registered Sea Legend Line Ltd., which operates the route. “It could be done in 18 days,” Li told Caixin.