Chinese carrier Sea Legend has launched a weekly container service between Ningbo and Felixstowe via the Northern Sea Route, operationalising Beijing's "Ice Silk Road" ambition as traditional shipping lanes face disruption. The route is 30–40 percent shorter than the Suez Canal passage between Asia and Europe.
The service gains urgency after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz following the US-Israel war that began on February 28, while Houthi attacks continue to threaten the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Sea Legend's October trial completed the journey in 20 days, compared with 40 via Suez. Winter ice restricts access to summer months, though Arctic winter sea ice extent fell 5.8 percent between 2024 and 2025.
Transit traffic on the route reached a record 3.2 million tonnes in 2025, with container transits rising to 24. The Northern Sea Route Administration, operating under Rosatom, issues all shipping permits. The United States has agreed with Finland to build new icebreakers, with the first expected in Alaska by late 2028.