The Honwell cargo ship, undertaking Nanjing's first container shipping mission via the Arctic route, has successfully completed its journey and returned safely to Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province in east China, on Friday.

At 19:00, the vessel loaded with timber, fertilizers and other cargo slowly docked at Berth 802 in the Longtan Port area of Nanjing.
This journey reduced the distance by more than 3,000 nautical miles compared to the traditional Suez Canal route, substantially lowering transportation time and costs.

"To support the return of the vessel from the Arctic route, we established a tailored ‘green channel’ to streamline border inspection procedures, ensuring the ship can dock with ‘zero waiting time’ upon arrival," said Zhang Xiaocun, a police officer at the Nanjing Port Border Inspection Station.

The vessel embarked on its voyage on Aug. 15, departing from Nanjing and traveling through the Arctic Northeast Passage to reach a major European hub in 26 days.

On the outbound journey, the ship carried complete automobiles, auto parts, home appliances, industrial goods, and machinery from companies in Anhui and Jiangsu provinces.

On the return trip, it brought back timber and other commodities from Russia and other regions.
The official said that currently, there is a strong demand for freight on the Arctic route, and in the future, local companies will schedule shipments based on cargo volume and expand cooperation channels to meet market needs.

"The Nanjing metropolitan area, the northern part of Jiangsu Province, along with southern Anhui Province and the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River, are home to a significant number of advanced manufacturing industries. Our current plan is to enhance collaboration with key shipping companies and expand routes further into Europe, America, and Africa," said Huang Heqing, director of the Port Construction Division at the Nanjing Transportation Bureau.

Nanjing has now established three integrated road-rail-water transportation hubs. Nanjing Port offers a comprehensive network of 17 near- and far-ocean routes that connect directly to Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and South America, providing solid support for global shipping and logistics.