Bab al-Mandab Strait: A Critical Chokepoint in Global Logistics
Shipping between Europe and Asia is vital to global logistics
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Bab al-Mandab and Its Importance for International Logistics
Most people have heard of the Strait of Hormuz in the news. Bab al-Mandab sounds more like a tricky geography quiz question. For international logistics, however, this strait is essential knowledge. It helps determine how quickly goods move between Asia and Europe and how much those journeys cost. Anyone looking to understand supply chains should therefore keep both straits on their radar. Their importance extends well beyond the shipping industry: according to UN Trade and Development, UNCTAD[1], more than 80 per cent of global trade in goods is carried by sea, measured by volume. Disruption along key routes can therefore have far-reaching consequences.
https://unctad.org/news/maritime-trade-under-pressure-growth-set-stall-2025?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Where Bab al-Mandab Is Located
Bab al-Mandab lies between Yemen and the Horn of Africa. The strait connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and, beyond it, the Indian Ocean. According to the US Energy Information Administration, EIA[2], it is approximately 29 kilometres wide at its narrowest point. On a world map, this passage barely stands out. For shipping, it is the southern gateway to one of the most important routes between Asia and Europe. Ships travelling from the Indian Ocean through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal towards the Mediterranean pass through Bab al-Mandab. At the northern end of this route lies the Suez Canal. In 2024, the IMF put the canal’s usual share of global maritime trade volume at around 15 per cent[3]. This underlines the importance of the corridor: ships travelling the full route need to pass through both chokepoints.
How Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab Are Connected
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman. For many energy shipments travelling from the Gulf region to Europe, Bab al-Mandab and the Suez Canal come next. A single transport route can therefore include several vulnerable chokepoints. Their importance is also reflected in the figures: according to the EIA, an average of 9.3 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products passed through Bab al-Mandab each day in 2023. During the same year, 21.8 million barrels a day flowed through Hormuz. Hormuz therefore handled the larger oil volume. At the same time, Bab al-Mandab remains crucial to the movement of goods between Asia and Europe. These include containers carrying electronics, textiles and machinery components.
When the Shortcut Is No Longer an Option
Since November 2023, attacks by Houthi militants on merchant ships have prompted shipping companies to avoid the Red Sea. Oil shipments illustrate just how strongly these security risks can affect the route: according to the EIA, the daily volume passing through Bab al-Mandab fell from 9.3 million barrels in 2023 to 4.1 million in 2024. The alternative route goes around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa. For goods travelling between Asia and Europe, this means a substantial detour. In early 2024, the IMF reported that these diversions had increased delivery times by an average of ten days or more. Meanwhile, trade volume through the Suez Canal fell by 50 per cent in January and February 2024 compared with the same period a year earlier.
Ten extra days at sea can throw business operations into disarray. A missing component can hold up production. Seasonal goods may not reach the warehouse until after their planned launch date. Capital also remains tied up in goods in transit for longer. UNCTAD identifies longer transport routes as a cause of additional delays, costs and emissions. A detour on a shipping chart can therefore quickly find its way into the cost calculations.
The effect on vessel availability is easy to understand, too: if a ship takes longer to complete its round trip, it will be available for its next loading later. These changes can affect subsequent departures and connecting services. Companies should therefore keep an eye on revised schedules even when their own shipments do not pass through Bab al-Mandab. After all, supply chains rarely stop at the quayside.
“Recent developments in the Middle East have brought the strait back into the public spotlight. At Skyline Express, we are monitoring the situation and are happy to advise you on what it means for your shipments.”
Why the Route Still Deserves Attention
The route remained a topic of concern in 2026: on 29 April, the IMF reported that the number of vessel transits through Bab al-Mandab was still approximately half the level recorded before the attacks began. At the same time, individual trade flows can develop differently. For the second quarter of 2026, the EIA recorded an average of 8.1 million barrels of oil[4] passing through the strait each day. Oil volumes and vessel transits measure different things and, together, provide a more nuanced picture.
What Businesses Can Take Away
For shippers, it is therefore worth taking a close look at the route actually planned for their goods. Will the shipment travel through the Red Sea or around Africa? What transit time is realistic? And what would a further delay mean? The key is to align procurement and production with this information, rather than simply relying on the next arrival date in an old schedule.
Businesses that regularly source goods from Asia can, for example, assess whether orders should be placed earlier or whether additional stock would make sense for particularly critical items. Such buffers do, however, cost money and require warehouse space. It is therefore worth distinguishing between goods that are easy to replace and components whose absence could hold up an entire order. There is no need to apply a blanket safety stock requirement to every shipment.
Benefit from Our Experience and Expertise
For time-critical goods, it may make sense to split a shipment and send urgently needed parts ahead by air freight. Larger quantities can still travel by sea. The right solution depends on factors such as the value of the goods, shipment volume and delivery deadline. This is where we at Skyline Express can help, with sea freight, air freight and tailored logistics solutions. Get in touch if you would like to review your transport planning.
[1]
https://unctad.org/news/maritime-trade-under-pressure-growth-set-stall-2025?utm_source=chatgpt.com
[2]
https://www.eia.gov/todayinEnergy/detail.php?id=41073&utm_source=chatgpt.com
[3]
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