Rethinking Maritime Chokepoints İn The Contemporary Global Economy

Abstract

Maritime chokepoints are commonly portrayed as critical vulnerabilities capable of triggering systemic disruption across the global economy. The concentration of trade and energy flows through corridors such as the Suez Canal, the Strait of Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb, the Strait of Malacca, and the Panama Canal has reinforced concerns regarding the fragility of contemporary globalisation. This article argues that contemporary maritime chokepoints create significant strategic vulnerabilities, but they do not necessarily render the global trading system fragile. Drawing on recent disruptions, including the Evergiven blockage, the Red Sea security crisis, and operational constraints affecting the Panama Canal, the article distinguishes between exposure to disruption and systems' capacity to absorb, adapt to, and recover from shocks.