The Arctic Route Is Nearly 5,000 km Shorter. So Why Don't Ships Use It?
Imagine putting a container on a ship in Shanghai. Its destination is Rotterdam, one of Europe's biggest ports. The normal route takes the ship south. It passes through Southeast Asia, crosses the Indian Ocean, enters the Suez Canal, crosses the Mediterranean and finally reaches northern Europe. That's a very long trip. But there is another way. Go north. Through the Bering Strait. Across the Russian Arctic. Then into northern Europe. This is the Northern Sea Route , or NSR. And on some route comparisons, it can cut almost: 5,000 kilometers from the journey between Shanghai and Rotterdam. That sounds like an obvious business decision. Shorter distance. Less fuel. Less time. Lower cost. So why don't most ships use it? Because in shipping, the shortest route is not always the cheapest route. And sometimes it isn't even the fastest. Shanghai to Rotterdam: About 19,350 km vs. 14,570 km Let's start with the map. One academic comparison estimated...