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From Geographical by Charlotte Lock
Take a deep dive into the world’s busiest shipping lanes according to the number of vessels passing through them each day
Even with a huge increase in air freight within the last few decades, ocean freight shipping remains the most popular method of transporting goods worldwide, with over 80 per cent of the world’s trade carried by sea.
Connecting manufacturers, producers and consumers all across the globe, natural and manmade shipping lanes are the backbone of maritime trade, and operating them smoothly can be difficult.
Some shipping lanes are far busier than others, particularly if their strategic placement offers a significant reduction in shipping time by offering a shortcut.
But which shipping lanes are the busiest? Find out the top five busiest shipping lanes in the world – according to their number of daily vessels – below, in reverse order.
But which shipping lanes are the busiest? Find out the top five busiest shipping lanes in the world – according to their number of daily vessels – below, in reverse order.
5. Panama Canal- 32 per day
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The Panama Canal connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, via an 82km long artificial waterway, cutting across the Isthmus of Panama.
The canal has become a primary route for trade, enabling ships to travel between the east and west coasts of the American continents and is also crucial for container ships travelling from the US’s east coast to Asia as it provides a much shorter alternative to sailing around the southern tip of South America.
The canal’s design means that the number of ships passing each day is monitored very carefully. Around 32 vessels are permitted to transverse the waterway each day, taking a whopping 10 hours to complete. This figure used to be closer to 39, but consistent drought conditions have led to the government putting limits on daily crossings.
Similar to the canal network that still operates across England, the Panama Canal is fitted with a series of locks, allowing vessels to change their elevation, operating as a kind of lift system. The 12 locks within the Panama Canal act to raise the ships 26m from sea level to the level of Gatan Lake, and vice versa.
Using the locks, vessels are raised when moving from the Pacific to the Atlantic and lowered when moving from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
4. Suez Canal – 50 per day
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The Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean and the Red Sea via the Isthmus of Suez, making it a vital shipping lane for goods travelling between Europe and Asia. Without the use of the canal, vessels would have to travel down and around the Cape of Good Hope (the most southern tip of Africa), taking several weeks to complete.
It is also a popular route for oil tankers transporting crude oil between the Middle East and Europe.
When it was first constructed, the canal was 164km in length and was only 8m deep. But after a series of improvements and enlargements, the canal is now 193km long and 24m deep.
Approximately 50 ships pass through the Suez Canal every day, with an average journey time of 12-16 hours.
There are very strict rules on what type of ships can pass through the canal to stop them from becoming stranded due to the shallow water or getting stuck in narrow sections.
In 2021, a ship running aground in the Suez Canal caused global trade chaos.
There are very strict rules on what type of ships can pass through the canal to stop them from becoming stranded due to the shallow water or getting stuck in narrow sections.
In 2021, a ship running aground in the Suez Canal caused global trade chaos.
The Ever Given, one of the world’s largest container ships, got stuck in the canal due to a combination of factors including a sandstorm which reduced visibility, the ship’s enormous size and travelling through a narrow single-lane section.
The container ship was stuck for 6 days before it was finally refloated by 14 tugboats. The incident held up as much as $10 billion of trade per day.
3. Strait of Hormuz – 103 per day
The Strait of Hormuz is the third busiest shipping lane in the world, acting as one of the world’s most important oil chokepoints. Located between the Persian Gulf in Iran and the Gulf of Oman. It is the only shipping lane that offers access to the open ocean from the Persian Gulf.
Around 20 per cent of the world’s sea-faring natural gas travels through the Strait of Hormuz every day, causing politics to have a heavy influence on its operation. Tensions between Iran and Western powers, particularly the United States, mean Iran has threatened to block the strait in response to sanctions or military pressure in the past, and there is currently added pressure in the region due to the ongoing Israeli-Hamas conflict.
In March this year, an average of 103 vessels travelled through the 167km-long Strait of Hormuz each day.
In March this year, an average of 103 vessels travelled through the 167km-long Strait of Hormuz each day.
2. Strait of Malacca – 300 per day
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The Strait of Malacca is located between Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, making it a primary route for the transport of goods between Asia and Europe.
Manufacturing companies in China, Japan, South Korea and lots of other Asian countries, use this shipping lane to pass goods to the Middle East and Europe – one of their biggest consumer markets. The Strait of Malacca also acts as a key route for transporting oil from the Middle East to Asia and Australia.
It is estimated that over 200 ships pass through the strait each day, even though their conditions are dangerous. At its narrowest, the water channel is as thin as a single sea lane, at around 600m and can be just 25m deep. Running aground in the strait is a very real possibility, but that doesn’t stop huge crude and cargo carriers from passing through side by side.
Japan is particularly dependent on the smooth operation of this shipping lane, with more than 80% of its oil imports passing through the water body every day.
1. The English Channel – 500 per day
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While it may seem hard to believe, the English Channel is the busiest shipping lane in the world, with over 500 vessels passing through it every day.
The English Channel connects the North Sea with the Atlantic Ocean and also provides a key link between the UK and continental Europe.
The English Channel measures around 560km in length, with a width that varies between just 34km at the Dover Strait and 240km at its widest section.
Food, fuel and manufactured goods all cross the Channel, supplying the UK with much of its total imports, but goods also often travel through on their way to the Americas or Europe.
The English Channel isn’t only good for cargo however with a range of passenger ferries, cruise ships, fishing boats, military boats and oil tankers passing through every day, adding to the traffic.
The unique Channel Tunnel rail link which runs beneath the shipping lane also transports nearly 21 million passengers between the UK and Europe every year.
Links :
The English Channel measures around 560km in length, with a width that varies between just 34km at the Dover Strait and 240km at its widest section.
Food, fuel and manufactured goods all cross the Channel, supplying the UK with much of its total imports, but goods also often travel through on their way to the Americas or Europe.
The English Channel isn’t only good for cargo however with a range of passenger ferries, cruise ships, fishing boats, military boats and oil tankers passing through every day, adding to the traffic.
The unique Channel Tunnel rail link which runs beneath the shipping lane also transports nearly 21 million passengers between the UK and Europe every year.
Links :
- WFE : These are the world's most vital waterways for global trade / These 6 maps show just how busy global shipping lanes are
- Marine Insight : 11 Busiest Shipping Lanes In The World / 10 Major Maritime Trade Routes In The World
- Vox : This is an incredible visualization of the world's shipping routes
- GeoGarage blog : Stunning interactive map of global shipping