China’s latest foray into the Northern Sea Route — using the channel between Russia and the North Pole to ship goods — has led some of the world’s largest container carriers to reiterate that the Arctic for them is still not safe, environmentally friendly or commercially viable.

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Co., the world’s biggest container carrier, issued a client advisory this week to “reaffirm” its commitment to avoiding the Arctic passage, a course which can halve the 40-day Asia-to-Europe trip via southern Africa. Attacks by Houthis in the Red Sea have effectively shut off the only other shorter alternative, though the Suez Canal.

Increased Arctic traffic could “impact the fragile ecosystem of the region and the ice caps,” as well as remote Arctic communities, MSC said in the Sept. 2

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