Around 90% of the world's traded goods travel by sea. That trade does not flow freely across open ocean — it funnels through a handful of narrow waterways that geographers call maritime chokepoints. When one of these straits is disrupted, the consequences ripple instantly across freight rates, cargo insurance, fuel costs and supply chains on every continent.
| Strait / Canal | Annual Vessel Transits | Share of World Trade | Primary Cargo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strait of Malacca & Singapore | 102,000 (2025 record) | ~23.7% | Oil, LNG, containers, bulk |
| English Channel / Dover Strait | ~180,000+ | ~25% Europe–Atlantic | All types, Ro-Ro, containers |
| Strait of Hormuz | ~35,000–42,000 | ~20% global oil supply | Crude oil, LPG, LNG |
| Suez Canal | ~13,000–20,000* | ~12–15% | Containers, oil, bulk, vehicles |
| Bab el-Mandeb Strait | ~15,000–20,000* | ~8.7% | Crude oil, LNG, containers |
| Panama Canal | 9,944 (FY2024) | ~3.0–3.5% | Containers, bulk, chemicals, LNG |
| Bosphorus Strait | >40,000 | ~3.1% | Oil, grain, fertiliser, steel |
* Suez Canal and Bab el-Mandeb figures depressed in 2024–2025 due to Houthi attacks diverting traffic around Africa.
1. Strait of Malacca & Singapore — The World's Busiest Lane
Running 800 kilometres between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the Strait of Malacca is the primary maritime corridor connecting the Indian Ocean with the South China Sea and the Pacific. The 2024 figure of 94,301 vessel transits marked a new annual record, up 5.5% year-on-year.
The strait carries approximately 23.7% of global seaborne trade by value — over USD 2.8 trillion in cargo annually. Over 15 million barrels of oil pass through it every day. Nearly 80% of China's oil imports pass through here — a dependency Chinese strategists have labelled the "Malacca Dilemma."
📍 Singapore's Position
Singapore sits at the eastern gateway of the Malacca Strait — making it the natural hub for bunker surveys, on/off-hire surveys, cargo surveys, and port agency services for vessels transiting or bunkering here. Singapore Marine Agency is MPA-licensed to operate at all Singapore ports and anchorages along this corridor.
2. English Channel & Dover Strait
Connecting the North Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, the English Channel handles over 500 ships daily — more vessel movements per day than any other waterway. The Dover Strait is just 34 kilometres wide at its narrowest, with mandatory Traffic Separation Schemes maintaining northbound and southbound lanes. Annually, the Channel sees over 180,000 commercial vessel transits.
3. Strait of Hormuz — The World's Energy Artery
The Strait of Hormuz is the only maritime outlet for five of the world's ten largest oil producers — Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the UAE, Kuwait and Iran. In 2024, the strait facilitated approximately 20 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products per day — roughly one-fifth of all global oil consumption. It also carries about 19% of the world's LNG trade.
In normal conditions approximately 95 vessels transit Hormuz daily. The strategic vulnerability of this narrow, 34-kilometre passage was dramatically demonstrated in early 2026, when regional conflict caused tanker traffic to fall sharply, triggering significant disruption to global energy markets and widespread cargo rerouting across Asia Pacific.
4. Suez Canal
The Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea, saving approximately 9,000 kilometres compared to routing around Africa. In normal conditions it handles over 26,000 vessel transits annually, representing 12–15% of global seaborne trade. The 2023–2025 Houthi attack campaign caused canal transits to fall from over 26,000 to around 13,000 — a near 50% collapse — adding an estimated USD 7–9 billion in annual shipping costs to the global economy.
5. Bab el-Mandeb — The Gate of Tears
The southern gateway to the Suez Canal, the Bab el-Mandeb carries approximately 8.7% of global seaborne trade — over USD 2 trillion annually. At its narrowest point, the strait is just 29 kilometres wide. The Houthi campaign caused weekly transits to fall to just 218 — down 60% from normal — forcing virtually all major container lines to reroute around Africa.
6. Panama Canal
The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans across the Isthmus of Panama. In fiscal year 2024, it registered 9,944 transits — down 29% from the prior year due to severe drought that forced the Panama Canal Authority to restrict daily transit numbers. The canal serves routes connecting the US East and Gulf Coasts to Asia, generating USD 3.38 billion in toll revenue in FY2024.
7. Bosphorus Strait
The Bosphorus runs 31 kilometres through Istanbul, dividing Europe and Asia. At its narrowest point — just 700 metres — it is the world's narrowest international strait used for commercial shipping. With over 40,000 commercial transits annually, it is the only maritime outlet for Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria and Georgia, making it critical for Black Sea grain and energy exports.
What This Means for Ship Owners and Cargo Interests
Chokepoint disruptions increase voyage distances, add port calls, and create additional opportunities for cargo damage, contamination and shortage — each requiring independent survey documentation for claims. Vessels rerouted to unplanned ports generate immediate requirements for bunker surveys, condition surveys, on/off-hire surveys and port agency coordination.
Singapore's position at the eastern gateway of the world's busiest strait makes it the natural staging point for surveys, bunker management and port agency services for vessels on virtually every major East–West trade lane.