1.2 Geostrategic importance of Maritime trade routes and EEzs

Maritime chokepoint

A narrow sea passage through which disproportionately large shares of global maritime trade must navigate, because they lack viable alternatives. They concentrate the flows of goods, energy and information that sustain the global economy. These passages carry enormous strategic and economic weight because of their indispensability and their vulnerability

Why do maritime chokepoints carry enormous strategic and economci weight?

Any disruption, wether caused by conflict, accident, piracy or political crisis, can delay international trade raise transport costs and threaten global energy supplies.

What are the world’s principal five chokepoints?

Together, these five passages form the structural skeleton of global maritime trade. Their geographic concentration means that disruption to any one of them can send shockwaves through the entire global economy.

• The suez canal

• The Panama canal

• The straight of Malacca

• The straight of Hormuz

• Bab el-Mandeb

The suez Canal

Opened in 1869, it links the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, providing the shortest sea route between Europe and Asia. Around 12-15% of global trade passes through it annually, including significant volumes of oil, LNG and containerised goods.

The Panama canal

In panama. Connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, enabling ships to avoid the long and hazardous journey around Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America. Expanded in 2016 to accommodate larger vessels (Neo-Panamax ships), it handles around 5% of global trade.

The straight of Malacca

between Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore): One of the world's busiest shipping lanes, connecting the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea and Pacific Ocean. Around 25% of global trade passes through it, including a significant share of the oil and goods bound for China, Japan and South Korea.

The straight of Hormuz

between Oman and Iran): The world's most critical oil chokepoint, through which approximately one-fifth of global oil consumption and around 20-25% of LNG passes daily. Its closure, even briefly, would trigger an immediate global energy

crisis.

Bab el-Mandeb

between Yemen, Djibouti and Eritrea): Links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, providing the southern approach to the Suez Canal. It is a vital transit point for Europe-Asia trade and an increasingly contested geopolitical flashpoint.

Why are the 5 main chokepoints so important?

form the structural skeleton of global maritime trade. Their geographic concentration means that disruption to any one of them can send shockwaves through the entire global economy.

What is a consequence of the fact that global trade is concentrated along a small number of sea routes passing through a handful of narrow passages?

maritime transport is structurally vulnerable to disruption. Several categories of threat illustrate this:

• Piracy : remains a persistent threat in certain regions. Used to be in the waters off the horn of africa, now it’s in the gulf of guinea off west Africa and remains a risk in the straight of Malacca

• Terrorism : may target vessels, ports or maritime infrastructure

• Armed conflicts : can destabilise entire regions of maritime space, driving up insurance premiums (war risk surcharges), forcing rerouting and increasing costs for shipping companies and, ultimately, consumers.

• Accidents and blockages :  can have cascading global consequences

Ex of piracy

The waters off the Horn of Africa (particularly around Somalia) saw a surge of attacks in the 2000s-2010s, before being brought under control through coordinated international naval patrols.

Ex of terrorism

The 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in the port of Aden illustrated the vulnerability of even military ships in confined waters.

Ex of armed conflicts

In February 2026, the conflict between the United States and Iran led to the closure of the strait of Hormuz.

Ex of accidents and blockages

In March 2021, the ultra-large container ship Ever Given ran aground in the Suez Canal and blocked it for six days. Hundreds of vessels were stranded, and the disruption to global supply chains cost an estimated $9-10 billion per day in delayed trade.

Ex that illustrates how a localized geopolitical conflicts can immediately restructured global flows/ maritime strategic transport is strcturally vulnerable Because global trade is concentrated along a small number of sea routes passing through a handful of narrow passages

The Houthi crisis in the Red Sea (from late 2023): Following the outbreak of the Gaza conflict, Yemen's Houthi rebels began launching drone and missile attacks against commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea. By early 2024, many major shipping companies had suspended Suez Canal transits entirely, rerouting vessels around the Cape of Good Hope adding approximately 10-14 days and significant fuel costs to Europe-Asia journeys.

What is a consequence of the fact that maritime routes are essential for trade, energy supply and national security?

states invest heavily in their ability to protect, influence and if necessary control them.

What are the main strategies employed by states to protect, influence and control maritime routes?

• Maintaining powerful blue-water navies capable of securing trade routes across distant seas and projecting military power

• Establishing overseas military bases near strategic chokepoints

• Defending freedom of navigation the principle enshrined in UNCLOS that commercial and military vessels have the right to pass through international waters without interference.

• International anti-piracy cooperation

Ex of the strategy of maintaining powerful bleu water navies

The United States Navy, with its network of carrier strike groups, has historically served as the guarantor of freedom of navigation in international waters, a role increasingly contested by China.

Ex strategy of establishing overseas military bases near strategic chokepoints

• The United States operates bases in Bahrain (close to the Strait of Hormuz) and Djibouti (near Bab el-Mandeb).

• China opened its first overseas military base in Djibouti in 2017, a significant marker of its growing maritime ambitions.

• France also maintains a naval base in Djibouti, reflecting its historical presence in the region.