GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Jul 21, 2026
Chokepoint
A chokepoint – also called a maritime bottleneck or strategic strait – is a narrow passage on a main shipping route through which a large share of world trade flows, such as the Suez Canal, the Panama Canal, the Strait of Hormuz, the Strait of Malacca or Bab al-Mandab.
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Source: https://www.marineinsight.com/marine-navigation/what-are-maritime-chokepoints/
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Logistics Concept
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Definition & Explanation
A chokepoint – also called a maritime bottleneck or strategic strait – is a narrow passage on a main shipping route through which a large share of world trade flows, such as the Suez Canal, the Panama Canal, the Strait of Hormuz, the Strait of Malacca or Bab al-Mandab. Because short alternative routes rarely exist, disruptions at a chokepoint immediately affect freight rates, transit times and insurance premiums in ocean freight. Causes include casualties, low water, political tensions or a naval blockade. Shipping lines respond by rerouting, for instance around the Cape of Good Hope, and pass on the extra costs through supplements such as the war risk surcharge. Monitoring the main chokepoints is therefore part of supply chain risk management for forwarders and shippers. Not to be confused with port congestion, which concerns capacity problems within the port itself rather than the geographic narrowness of a waterway.
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