On September 20, a cargo ship left the Chinese port of Ningbo on a new route through the Northern Sea Route (NSR). Polina Rudakova, Head of Sales at Rusmarin Group of Transport Companies, explained that testing of this corridor does not involve replacing existing routes, but is aimed at creating an additional link in the global transport network.
The Northern Sea Route can only be used during the navigation period, from July to October–November, depending on the ice conditions. At the same time, its use makes it possible to reduce transit times by 30-40% compared to the route through the Suez Canal. Thus, delivery from Chinese ports via the Northern Sea Route takes an average of 22-25 days compared to 45-55 days via Suez. This gives carriers significant advantages: faster operations, reduced risks of delays in the bottlenecks of traditional routes (Suez or the Strait of Malacca) and cost optimization.
According to Polina Rudakova, the NSR is considered as the "second arm" of global logistics, capable of unloading major routes during peak seasons and increasing the flexibility of the transport system. For freight forwarders, this is an incentive to develop the Arctic infrastructure, modernize the fleet, including ice-class vessels and icebreaker escorts, as well as to form new competencies for working in northern latitudes.
The test flight from Ningbo indicates that major ports and carriers are beginning to seriously consider the NSR as a working tool. However, in the coming years it will remain an addition, not a substitute for classical trends. This expands the choice for shippers: they will be able to flexibly select routes depending on the season, cost and delivery time.
Rusmarin Group of transport companies, one of the leading Russian freight forwarders, is actively involved in the development of alternative routes and uses the NSR as a new stage in the development of national logistics. The company has already announced its readiness to arrange delivery in this direction, which will allow customers to access faster and more efficient routes.
