Regular container shipping service via the Northern Sea Route has begun operating between Russia and China.

"For the 2023 navigation season, there are plans to deliver 400 ships via the Northern Sea Route to the ports of St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad and China. And one ship from the port of Arkhangelsk to ports in China," said Ke Jin, spokesman for NewNew Shipping Line.

As Commercial Director of Global Ports Igor Pukhov noted, despite the slump in container traffic in 2022, now there is already an upward trend.

"If you look at the results of May, you can see that cargo turnover has recovered to the level of 58 percent of the average, which was the figure in 2021. China is now playing a key role in terms of growth. Today there are about eight lines operating in the Chinese direction, one of which, the NewNew Shipping Line, shows a high rate of growth," said Pukhov.

Now the development of the Northern Sea Route is making progress in three areas.

"The first one is the production of our Arctic projects, and they are the drivers. Now we have advanced expertise in terms of effective navigational safety. The second area is the road to the East, when the Northern Sea Route connects our northwestern ports with the ports of the Far East. And the third area is the Northern Sea Route as part of global logistics, and today we have witnessed such a project, the launch of the line," said Vladimir Panov, Rosatom's special representative for Arctic development.