Hai Jie Shipping and "Silk Road Maritime" Establish Strategic Cooperation on Arctic Route Meteorological Navigation Services

At the 8th "Silk Road Maritime" International Cooperation Forum held on September 8, Hai Jie Shipping (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd. and Fujian Silk Road Maritime Operation Co., Ltd. jointly signed the "Arctic Route Meteorological Navigation Service Agreement." According to the agreement, all seven vessels operating on the Arctic route by Hai Jie Shipping in 2026 will uniformly adopt the "Silk Road Maritime" global meteorological navigation service, achieving full meteorological coverage for the Arctic fleet. The implementation of this cooperation agreement marks a substantial breakthrough in the normalization of meteorological navigation services in polar waters in China. It also accumulates critical data and operational experience for the large-scale and normalized operation of the Arctic route in the future, contributing Chinese wisdom and solutions to the safe and efficient development of the Arctic route.

In 2026, Hai Jie Shipping scheduled a total of 8 fixed voyages to operate on the Arctic route. The vessels will traverse the Arctic Northeast Passage directly to Europe, with a one-way transportation time of only about 20 days, nearly halving the time compared to traditional routes. The one-way carbon emissions will be reduced by approximately 50%. In 2026, based on the maiden voyage of one cargo ship last year, Hai Jie Shipping will add six new vessels, deploying a total of seven ice-strengthened ships for regular operations, significantly increasing transport capacity.

Since the successful maiden voyage of the China-Europe Arctic Express operated by Hai Jie Shipping in September 2025, the market response has been enthusiastic, especially favored by cross-border e-commerce and high-value cargo customers. After achieving normalized weekly operations in 2026, the logistics coverage will further expand. After transshipment at the Port of Felixstowe in the UK, goods can be delivered to countries such as France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Latvia, Denmark, and Estonia. Hai Jie Shipping's Chief Operating Officer Li Xiaobin stated: "The company always prioritizes safety, efficiency, and environmental protection in navigation. The comprehensive support of Silk Road Maritime's global meteorological navigation will further enhance the safety and stability of route operations, laying a more solid foundation for the large-scale application of the Arctic route."

Compared to traditional routes through the Strait of Malacca, the Arctic route can shorten the journey by over 3,000 nautical miles, saving more than ten days of sailing time. However, at the same time, the complex and variable ice conditions, frequent extreme weather, and fragile ecological environment pose extremely high demands on the comprehensive service capabilities of meteorological navigation. "Silk Road Maritime," in collaboration with relevant units, has tailored a full-chain meteorological navigation solution for the specific needs of the Arctic route. The service content includes high-frequency satellite observation and analysis of Arctic sea ice concentration, intelligent grid forecasting of sea ice concentration and thickness, monitoring of Arctic sea temperature evolution trends and extreme weather systems (such as polar cyclones), wind and wave warnings, dynamic monitoring of the entire voyage route, and risk assessment of ice navigation zones, among other professional functions.

Li Nan, General Manager of Fujian Silk Road Maritime Operation Co., Ltd., stated: "The Arctic Route Meteorological Navigation Service is a representative implementation scenario of 'actively promoting the integrated development of Silk Road Maritime ports, shipping, and trade'—meteorological services ensure shipping safety, stable routes support smooth trade, and trade prosperity drives port and shipping development."