"Trump Strait" instead of the Strait of Hormuz? US President Donald Trump floated exactly this idea in early September. On Truth Social, he asked whether the strategically important strait should bear his name in the future. A few hours later, he walked back the suggestion. Whether the Strait of Hormuz will actually become the "Trump Strait" at some point is highly doubtful. For international logistics, another question is far more critical anyway: Why is the whole world talking about a relatively narrow waterway between Iran and Oman?

The answer goes far beyond Hormuz. The Strait of Malacca, the Bab al-Mandab, the Suez Canal, the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, the Strait of Gibraltar, or the Panama Canal: a large portion of international shipping is concentrated in a few geographical bottlenecks. Some of these are natural straits, while others were created by humans.

They all have one thing in common: when there are problems there, a few kilometers of waterway can become a problem for supply chains all over the world. But where are these important routes actually located? What is transported there? And why can't a ship simply steer a little to the left or right if there is a closure?

What exactly is a maritime bottleneck?

In international shipping, the term "chokepoint" is frequently used. It refers to a geographically restricted passage through which large traffic flows move. This includes natural straits as well as man-made canals. Their particular significance often arises from the fact that there is no immediately comparable alternative.

If a ship cannot use such a passage, it does not necessarily mean that the journey becomes impossible. However, it can become significantly longer, more expensive, or more complicated. This becomes particularly clear with some of the world's most important waterways.

1. Strait of Hormuz – the gateway to the Persian Gulf

The Strait of Hormuz lies between Iran and Oman. It connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and continues into the Arabian Sea. Its enormous strategic importance stems primarily from the energy exports of the Gulf region.

The current figures show impressively just how strongly geopolitical events can affect such traffic flows: In the fourth quarter of 2025, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, an average of around 21.6 million barrels of crude oil and other liquid petroleum products were still being transported through Hormuz per day. In the second quarter of 2026, that figure had dropped to around 4.9 million barrels daily.

These figures refer specifically to oil and petroleum products—not to total shipping traffic. However, they illustrate the importance the strait holds, particularly for the global energy supply. Container ships, general cargo vessels, and other freighters also use Hormuz to reach or depart from ports within the Persian Gulf.

Are there alternatives?

To some extent. Individual oil flows can, for example, be transported via pipelines that bypass Hormuz. For many seaports within the Persian Gulf, however, the strait remains the crucial maritime access point to the world's oceans. A complete replacement for the traffic flows there is therefore not easily possible. And that is precisely why every political or military development around Hormuz attracts global attention.

2. Strait of Malacca – one of Asia's most important connections

A few thousand kilometers further east lies the next critical bottleneck. The Strait of Malacca runs between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It forms one of the most important short sea connections between the Indian Ocean and the economic regions of East and Southeast Asia.

This places it on central trade routes between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Its importance for energy transport is also enormous. In the fourth quarter of 2025, according to EIA data, an average of around 24.9 million barrels of oil and petroleum products were transported there per day. In the second quarter of 2026, it was around 16.6 million barrels daily.

But Malacca is by no means only important for oil. The route also plays a central role in container shipping between Europe and East Asia.

Are there alternatives?

In principle, yes. Ships can, for example, use other Indonesian straits. Depending on the ship and the departure and destination ports, however, such alternatives can mean longer distances and thus additional time and costs. That is exactly what defines a chokepoint: an alternative may exist, but it is not automatically equivalent..

3. Bab al-Mandab – the southern gateway to the Red Sea

The Bab al-Mandab Strait is located between the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa. It connects the Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea. Consequently, ships traveling between the Indian Ocean and the Suez Canal via the Red Sea must pass through Bab al-Mandab.

The changes of recent years clearly demonstrate how quickly traffic flows can shift due to geopolitical developments. According to the EIA, the volume of oil and petroleum products transported through the strait rose from an average of 3.9 million barrels per day in the first quarter of 2025 to 8.1 million barrels per day in the second quarter of 2026.

What is the alternative?

If the route through the Red Sea is avoided, an important alternative route leads around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa.. This works. However, it turns the direct connection between Asia and Europe into a significantly longer journey.

More nautical miles mean, among other things, more time, higher fuel consumption, and longer commitment of vessel capacity. Furthermore, a ship that takes longer to complete a round trip may subsequently be missing elsewhere in the schedule.

4. Suez Canal – the shortcut between Europe and Asia

Those passing through Bab al-Mandab and the Red Sea reach one of the best-known bottlenecks in global trade further north. The Suez Canal crosses Egypt and connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea. Unlike Hormuz or Malacca, this is not a natural strait, but an artificially created waterway.

For many connections between Europe and Asia, it represents a massive shortcut. Without the passage through Suez, corresponding shipping routes must be diverted, for example, via the much longer route around Africa. How sensitive this system can be became particularly evident in 2021. The container ship Ever Given ran aground in the Suez Canal and blocked the waterway for six days.

The consequences were not limited to the ships waiting outside the canal. Delayed ships also arrive at their next ports later. Containers may miss connecting transport, port calls are rescheduled, and entire vessel rotations can be disrupted. A local blockage can therefore have an impact on supply chains thousands of kilometers away.

5. The Turkish Straits – Bosphorus and Dardanelles

An important system of natural straits is also located in Europe, or rather on the border between Europe and Asia. The Bosphorus connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara. At the other end of the Sea of Marmara, the Dardanelles lead to the Aegean Sea and thus to the Mediterranean.

The complete route is therefore: Black Sea → Bosphorus → Sea of Marmara → Dardanelles → Aegean Sea → Mediterranean Sea

Together, the Bosphorus and Dardanelles are known as the Turkish Straits. For the countries bordering the Black Sea, they provide maritime access to the Mediterranean and, from there, to other global markets. They are particularly significant for the transport of energy, raw materials, and agricultural products from the Black Sea region.

For crude oil and petroleum products alone, the transport volume in the second quarter of 2026 was approximately 4.1 million barrels per day, according to the EIA. This highlights that the importance of a chokepoint does not depend solely on what percentage of total global trade passes through it. For individual regions and trade flows, such a passage can be of vital importance.

6. Strait of Gibraltar – the gateway to the Mediterranean

In the western Mediterranean, the next important natural strait awaits. The Strait of Gibraltar lies between Spain and Morocco and connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean. Anyone traveling by sea from the Atlantic into the Mediterranean and subsequently, for example, toward the Suez Canal, must pass through Gibraltar.

This allows one of the major international maritime routes to be simplified as a chain: Atlantic → Gibraltar → Mediterranean → Suez → Red Sea → Bab al-Mandab → Indian Ocean

A ship can therefore pass through several strategically important passages on a single voyage. This clearly shows that maritime chokepoints cannot be viewed in isolation. A disruption at one point can have repercussions for the entire route.

7. Panama Canal – straight across Central America

Another famous man-made chokepoint lies on the other side of the Atlantic. The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific, saving ships significant detours on certain routes. Technically, however, it differs significantly from the Suez Canal. While Suez runs largely at sea level, ships in Panama are raised and then lowered again using locks. This requires fresh water. And that is precisely what makes the Panama Canal dependent on the water levels of its catchment area.

The current relevance of this topic is once again evident right now: due to lower rainfall, the Panama Canal Authority has adjusted the number of available daily transit slots. As of September 3, 2026, nine slots apply for the Neopanamax locks and 25 for the Panamax locks; from September 15, the number of Panamax slots is set to drop to 23. The canal authority points out that a lower number of passages can lead to longer waiting times, especially for ships without a reservation.

This shows that it is not just wars, political conflicts, accidents, or strikes that can impair important trade routes. Rainfall and water levels can also suddenly become a factor for international supply chains.

Why not just take a different route?

On a world map, the ocean looks vast. So why doesn't a ship just take a different route when problems arise? Because international shipping relies on the most efficient connections possible and complex, tightly coordinated schedules.

An alternative route can mean:

• additional nautical miles
• longer transit times
• higher fuel consumption
• additional operating costs
• longer commitment of ship and crew
• changed port calls
• delayed containers
• missed connecting services

And this is not just about a single ship. When numerous shipping companies avoid the same passage at the same time, the available shipping capacity across the entire network changes. A ship that suddenly takes much longer for its round trip is ultimately available later for its next voyage. In this way, a disruption in a geographically distant location can have an impact on shipments that do not pass through the affected area at all.

Strait, canal, or cape – what is what?

These terms are often confused in everyday language. A strait is a natural, narrow waterway connecting larger bodies of water.

These include, for example:

• Strait of Hormuz
• Strait of Malacca
• Bab el-Mandeb
• Bosporus and Dardanelles
• Strait of Gibraltar

A canal, by contrast, is an artificially created waterway.

The most well-known examples in our overview are:

• Suez Canal
• Panama Canal

Then there are routes around geographical points like the Cape of Good Hope. The cape itself is not a maritime chokepoint. However, it gains enormous importance as an alternative route when other passages cannot be used or are only available to a limited extent. Current EIA data also show this: in the second quarter of 2026, an average of around 9.4 million barrels of oil and petroleum products per day were transported via the route around the Cape of Good Hope.

Small dots on the map – huge significance for logistics

Hormuz, Malacca, Bab el-Mandeb, Suez, the Turkish Straits, Gibraltar, or Panama may initially look like minor geographical details on a world map. For international supply chains, they are the exact opposite. They help determine which routes ships take, how long transport takes, and what alternatives are available.

This is why shipping companies and freight forwarders monitor more than just departure and destination ports. The situation along the entire route can also be decisive. Political conflicts, weather events, water levels, accidents, or restrictions at a single chokepoint can mean that an originally planned route must be reassessed. So, Donald Trump can discuss what the Strait of Hormuz should be called in the future.

For logistics, it is more important whether and how ships can get through. And sometimes, the difference between "on schedule" and "we need to replan" really is just a waterway a few kilometers wide.