Management Challenges of Customs Regulation in the Arctic: A Case Study of Shipping Control along the Northern Sea Route

E. V. Zhiryaeva () and Xintao Wang ()

Administrative Consulting, 2026, issue 5

Abstract: This article examines the management challenges of customs regulation on the Northern Sea Route (NSR) in the context of restrictions on the movement of dual-use goods in international transit. The study is motivated by the slowdown in the transit of Chinese goods via the Trans-Siberian Railway due to new customs control measures introduced by the Russian Federation.The methodology is based on a content analysis of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), relevant Russian legislation (Federal Law No. 155-FZ “On Internal Sea Waters, the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone of the Russian Federation†, the Merchant Shipping Code of the Russian Federation), and Government Resolution No. 313 (as amended in 2022–2024), focusing on identifying legal conflicts and gaps in the regulation of dual-use goods in maritime transit.The objective is to determine whether the prohibitions on the movement of dual-use goods established by the Russian Federation extend to maritime transport along the NSR and what management challenges this creates for customs authorities.The article hypothesizes that national security concerns in the form of prohibitions and restrictions on the movement of dual-use goods will be enforced by the state along any route, but the streamlining of customs procedures could make legal transportation seamless. A vessel navigating the main recommended NSR routes consistently passes through all three types of maritime spaces under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation (internal sea waters, territorial sea, exclusive economic zone). Although the physical conditions of the Arctic make routine onboard customs inspections impractical, this does not negate the Russian Federation’s jurisdiction over the route. Russia exercises effective control over the NSR through a comprehensive mechanism that includes a permissive navigation regime, an electronic tracking system for vessels and cargo throughout the route, and the right to board and inspect vessels. The hypothesis is partially confirmed. “Streamlined customs procedures†on the NSR are not automatic. The NSR may offer fewer delays, provided that the goods being moved do not fall within risk profiles. The main challenge for customs regulation in the Arctic is not the technical impossibility of control, but the legal uncertainty of the regulatory framework.The scientific novelty lies in a comprehensive analysis of the conflict between the prohibition on the movement of dual-use goods in transit and the specific characteristics of maritime transit along the NSR; unlike existing studies, it is demonstrated that the absence of stationary border checkpoints does not imply the absence of the Russian Federation’s jurisdiction.Practical significance: recommendations have been developed for the Federal Customs Service of Russia, the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, and Chinese carriers.

Date: 2026
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