First container ship of Chinese shipping company New New Shipping Line arrives in Murmansk

MURMANSK. Aug 19 (Interfax) - The first container ship of the Chinese shipping company New New Shipping Line (NNSL) moored at the berth of JSC Murmansk Commercial Sea Port (MCSP, managed by Port Alliance) on Wednesday night, the port said on its Telegram channel.

"For MCSP, this is the first experience of receiving container cargo delivered via this route," MCSP said.

The container ship delivered automotive components from China via the Northern Sea Route (NSR).

As reported, on August 18, NNSL General Director Ke Jin said during the Russia and China - Mutually Beneficial Cooperation international forum in Kazan that the company is interested in actively participating in investments and modernization of Russian port and logistics infrastructure on the NSR.

"Of particular interest to us are investment projects in Arctic ports, in Murmansk and Arkhangelsk, as well as the opportunity to participate in the equity of the port of Ust-Luga," he said.

Earlier, on the sidelines of the 2026 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2026), Murmansk region Governor Andrei Chibis announced the first NNSL voyage to MCSP in August with transshipment of around 500 containers.

In turn, NNSL Board Chairman Fan Yuxin said that the company is interested in developing Murmansk as a logistics hub and is counting on a long-term partnership.

The Arctic Express N1 trade route of NNSL has been in operation since 2024. It connects the main ports of China - Shanghai and Ningbo - with Arkhangelsk via the NSR.

Murmansk Commercial Sea Port is considered the largest stevedoring company in Russia's Arctic zone. Its capacity is 24 million tonnes of cargo per year. The main product range includes coal, pellets, manganese ore, crushed stone and general cargo, including to Arctic and local destinations. The enterprise also handles ammonium nitrate transshipment.

In 2025, MCSP handled 9.73 million tonnes of cargo, down 30.4% from a year earlier. It handled 5.49 million tonnes of cargo in January-July this year, down 19.3% year-on-year.

Established in March 2024, JSC Port Alliance includes, in addition to MCSP, Murmansk Bulker Terminal LLC, Murmansk Container Terminal LLC, Tuapse Bulker Terminal LLC, JSC Daltransugol and Maly Port Stevedoring Company LLC in Nakhodka. The combined capacity of the five assets exceeds 53 million tonnes of cargo per year.