EventSea Legend Shipping finished all eight planned Arctic sea‑route sailings in 2026, transporting over 14,000 TEUs of energy equipment, batteries, and new‑energy vehicles. 7 ice‑strengthened vessels—including Istanbul Bridge (4,890 TEU)—operated from August 15 to September 27, earlier than planned due to an ice expansion forecast. The company intends to resume next summer and build a four‑month season.
China’s Sea Legend Shipping finished its eight 2026 Northern Sea Route voyages, moving more than 14,000 TEUs of energy‑related cargo from Chinese ports to Europe, marking a first regular weekly Arctic service that halves transit times compared to the Suez.
China completed a full season of weekly container shipments to Europe along the Northern Sea Route, with all eight planned voyages finished by September 27 and 14,000 TEUs carried, before pulling back slightly ahead of schedule due to ice‑forecasted expansion.
China has halted container shipments to Europe via the Arctic’s Northern Sea Route until the summer 2027, citing the end of the navigation season. The pause follows 8,000 TEU moved in 2026, worth 5.33 billion yuan, mainly electric vehicles and batteries, and precedes the first Belarusian cargo voyage on the route last September.
