A chokepoint is a concept in geopolitics and economics that refers to a strategic, narrow passage along a maritime trade route, which can be a natural strait or a human-made canal. These corridors are critical because a significant share of global trade, including energy supplies, must pass through a limited space. The concept has roots in military strategy, where a geographical feature is used to limit an opposing force's movement. Historically, the British Empire recognized their importance, using locations like Gibraltar and the Cape Colony to control trade and secure access to Asia. The importance of chokepoints was first recognized by British Admiral John Fisher.
The mechanism of a chokepoint is that it acts as a bottleneck for global commerce, meaning any disruption causes rapid impacts on shipping routes, freight costs, and supply chains worldwide. For instance, the Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, is the world's most critical oil transit chokepoint, with roughly 20% of global petroleum consumption passing through it. The Strait of Malacca facilitates 30% of global trade, linking the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea. Disruptions can be structural, such as the 2021 Suez Canal blockage by the Ever Given ship, or geopolitical, like the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
Chokepoints are closely connected to the international legal framework of the Law of the Sea Convention (LOSC) 1982, which governs navigation through straits and canals. For India, whose energy security relies heavily on these routes, they connect to the strategic response of Vision MAHASAGAR and the establishment of the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in 2018. Recently, the strategic landscape has changed due to the Houthi attacks since late 2023, which forced approximately 470 container vessels to re-route around Africa. In response, India's proposed India-Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), announced in 2023, seeks to reduce dependence on the Red Sea-Suez Canal route.