Chinese container ships received authorisation from Russia to cross the Arctic Ocean on the Northeast Passage without icebreakers.

The ships include the NEWNEW PANDA 1 (42,000 tonnes, 264 metres long), making it one of the largest container ships to cross the Arctic. However, the Panamax ship does not have an ice class, which is why it is only allowed to sail this route in summer between 10 August and 30 October without the help of an icebreaker.

The Chinese shipping company NewNew Shipping began its Arctic service in 2023, connecting ports in Asia with destinations in Northern Europe. Further authorisations will follow, as NewNew Shipping has announced plans to expand operations on its Arctic Express Route No. 1 and also order container ships with an ice class of Arc7. Ships with such a high ice class could travel on this route almost all year round, with the help of icebreakers in winter.

In recent years, conventional oil tankers and LNG ships have predominantly travelled this route, another indication of the effects of climate change. Due to the continuing decline in Arctic sea ice, the ice-free navigation window for ships with and without ice class is expected to widen further in the coming years.