Difficulties in Arctic waterway development

There are practical problems in the development of Arctic waterway;

First, compared with the traditional Suez-Malacca route, it is difficult for experts from all over the world to have a unified answer on how much money the Arctic route makes. Because although the northern route has attractive commercial prospects, the lack of infrastructure and harsh natural environment make the Arctic route not commercially feasible at least in the short term. Moreover, ice floes and terrible icebergs force ships to sail at a slower speed or even detour. In addition, the water level in some sections of the Arctic waterway is too low, especially in the Bering Strait, which restricts the passage of large merchant ships.

Secondly, as American geography professor brigham said, besides icebergs, cargo ships have to face Russian licensing and control regulations. For decades, the controversy about the Arctic waterway has been fierce. From Russia to Canada, the Arctic waterway is regarded as a domestic traffic line, while other countries have always adhered to the right of international passage. Russia has also passed laws requiring passing ships to obtain permission in advance, forcing them to use Russian ice-breaking and navigation services and charging high fees, which has caused dissatisfaction in other countries. If we can't reach an agreement that satisfies all parties, it is obviously unrealistic for Arctic routes to compete with traditional routes in the short term.