Recommendation 200

By contrast, cargo transit through the Northeast Passage offers the potential of significantly shortening shipping routes between East Asia and Europe. For example, the difference in distance between the ports of Rotterdam and Yokohama going through the Northern Sea Route as opposed to the Suez canal is 37%. 230 Cargo traffic along the Northern Sea Route has grown almost five times over the five years to 2020, reaching 35 million tons in 2021. 231 In 2021, the insurance broker Allianz estimated cargo traffic could increase to 100 million tons by 2030. 232