Jiangyin terminal of Fuzhou Port welcomes once more the China-Europe Arctic Express Route

On August 21, the China-Europe Arctic Express Route made its first stop in 2026 at Jiangyin terminal of Fuzhou Port. “Riyadh Mukaab”, a vessel operated by Sea Legend Shipping got itself berthed smoothly and experienced handling in Fuzhou Port on that before continuing to travel northward to base ports in Europe. This is the second consecutive year that the route has passed via Fuzhou Port following the route’s global maiden voyage in 2025. This embodies not only Fuzhou Port’s comprehensive strength, but a new stride Fuzhou is making to integrate itself deeply in the building of the “Polar Silk Road”.

The latest China-Arctic Express Route, which will navigate the Arctic Northeast Passage, is expected to take about 20 days to arrive at base ports in Europe. The range of the route is nearly one third shorter than traditional routes via the Suez Canal. Total transit times can be shortened by more than 15 days, carbon emissions can be reduced by around 30%, and the route is about 7 days faster than China-Europe freight trains. Therefore, the route can provide an utterly new, safe, efficient and stable logistics channel for Europe-bound Fujian-made new trio products (electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and photovoltaic products).

Since “Istanbul Bridge”, the world’s first container vessel operating on the China-Europe Arctic Express Route, berthed at Jiangyin terminal of Fuzhou Port in September 2025, the Fujian Province Fuzhou Port Development Center has worked with Fuzhou Customs, Fuqing Immigration Inspection and Fuzhou Bureau of Maritime Safety to provide proactive services, assisted Sea Legend Shipping in paying visits to key foreign trade enterprises in the vicinity of the port to introduce dedicated shipping routes and meet demand for shipping in a targeted way, and made unremitting efforts to draw steady flows of goods for the shipping route and ensure the route will operate on a regular basis.

With the help of this special marine channel, Fuzhou Port is intent on creating an increasingly interwoven international shipping network, has a faster logistic channel to access Europe, and is on a steady course to emerge as an important pivot in international supply chains. Fuzhou Port will take further steps to deepen cooperation with shipping companies on a regular basis, and watch closely the evolving dynamics of the arctic shipping route and vessel handling to become increasingly capable of ensure the smooth operation of the route.  (Wu Huazhen, Jiang Yachen）