Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in East China's Zhejiang province launched the world's first China-Europe Arctic Express on Sept 22, realizing the "Polar Silk Road" vision with a record 18-day transit directly to Europe.

For exporters from Yiwu — a county-level city in Jinhua — the shorter and faster "Polar Silk Road" offers a cost-effective way to enter European markets.

Zhang Guanghui, a logistics company's warehouse manager, said they recently shipped a container with goods valued at over $80,000 via the route, including heating devices catering to Europe's winter.

Zhang added that the transportation cost via the new route is about 40 percent lower than rail transport.

Yiwu has established trade relations with 230 countries and regions, and Europe is one of the important trading partners. Data showed that Yiwu's imports and exports with the European Union reached 57.39 billion yuan ($8.06 billion) from January to August, up by 27.6 percent year-on-year.

The new route not only carries traditional products like daily necessities, clothing, and footwear, but also includes high-tech items such as energy storage cabinets and photovoltaic products, according to Li Xiaobin, chief operating officer of Sea Legend Shipping.

Yiwu DSP Electric Appliance Co, which specializes in kitchenware and small appliances, has been trading with European clients for 15 years.

"Our DSP brand products are manufactured in accordance with the European CE standards and are sold directly to major supermarkets in Europe, where they are highly popular among local consumers," said Chen Hong, the company's supervisor.

The new route can quickly deliver their goods to the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands and the Port of Felixstowe in the United Kingdom, as well as supply customers in other European countries through these ports, providing a new option for Yiwu enterprises to expand globally, Chen added.