The Role of the Northern Sea Route in Expanding China's Exports to Europe

摘要

Recently China has been facing a problem of reduced exports to Europe caused by the rise of the yuan, the increasing labour and transportation costs. This article aims to investigate the opportunities for expanding China's exports to the EU offered by the Northern Sea Route. Comparison of the distances between the main sea ports connecting China and Europe via the Northern and Southern Sea Routes shows that the former may well prove to be a viable option if China uses the part of the route running along the Russian Arctic coast. One of the possible economic benefits of the Northern Sea Route is that, when navigable, it significantly saves transportation time and reduces shipping costs. In addition to China's already established trading partners in Europe, Finland, Norway and Ireland could provide new markets for Chinese goods since these countries have multiple ports, which can be easily accessed from the sea.