JAKARTA – The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has redirected attention to alternative shipping lanes, including the Strait of Malacca, the world’s busiest trade route.

Stretching roughly 900 kilometres, the Malacca Strait links East Asia with the Middle East and Europe, and carries about 22% of global maritime trade.

The corridor serves as a key route for oil and gas shipments to major consuming countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea.

As reported by Reuters, the US Energy Information Administration classifies the Malacca Strait as the world’s largest oil chokepoint, surpassing Hormuz.

In the first half of 2025, around 23.2 million barrels of oil per day transited the route, representing 29% of total global seaborne oil flows.

Data from the Marine Department Malaysia show that more than 102,500 vessels passed through the Malacca Strait in 2025, up from about 94,300 ships in 2024.

However, depth constraints force some large vessels to take alternative routes south of Indonesia, lengthening transit times and raising logistics costs.

At its narrowest point, the strait is just 2.7 kilometres wide, creating risks of congestion, collisions, and oil spills.

The area has also long been known as a piracy hotspot. The ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre recorded 104 criminal incidents last year, although cases have declined in early 2026.

The Malacca Strait is strategically significant for China, with about 75% of its seaborne oil imports passing through the route, according to tanker tracking data.

The Iran crisis has heightened concerns over potential disruptions at other chokepoints, including the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, both key arteries for global trade.

Amid these concerns, regional officials have reaffirmed their commitment to keeping the route open.

Singapore’s foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan said countries bordering the strait have agreed not to impose tariffs and to guarantee freedom of navigation.

“Transit access rights are guaranteed for all. We will not participate in any effort to close, restrict, or impose tolls in our waters,” Balakrishnan said.

Meanwhile, Malaysia’s foreign minister Mohamad Hasan stressed that management of the strait is conducted jointly by regional states, including coordinated patrols to safeguard the route.

Indonesia’s foreign minister Sugiono also said the government would not impose tariffs on vessels transiting the Malacca Strait, noting such a policy would be inconsistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“We also expect unobstructed shipping lanes, and I believe this is a shared commitment among many countries to maintain open, neutral, and mutually supportive sea lanes,” Sugiono said, as quoted by Antara.

“So, no. Indonesia is not in a position to impose such tariffs in the Malacca Strait,” he added. Previously, finance minister Purbaya Sadewa had floated the possibility of imposing tariffs on vessels transiting the route. (DH/ZH)