Arctic Ship Shortcut Caters to China-Europe Trade: Supply Lines

Later this month, a nondescript container ship dubbed the Istanbul Bridge is scheduled to depart China loaded with goods bound for the UK and other northern European destinations. It’s a routine example of trade flowing between the some of the world’s busiest ports.

Except for one key difference.

Rather than sailing around southern Africa like most other carriers on Asia-Europe loops, or risk a Houthi attack near the Suez Canal, the Chinese-operated vessel will head north across the Arctic and cut the travel time in half.

The service, called Arctic Express and run by Haijie Shipping, is connecting three ports in ...