Panama Canal: how much trade passes through (2024 estimate)

Share of their seaborne trade that crosses the chokepoint

1. Bermuda$2.1 billion · 69.8%
2. Costa Rica$16.4 billion · 57.7%
3. Ecuador$25 billion · 43.5%
4. Colombia$36.9 billion · 43.5%
5. French Polynesia$446 million · 43.4%
6. Guatemala$16 billion · 43%
7. El Salvador$7.2 billion · 42%
8. Venezuela$9.4 billion · 38.5%
9. Bolivia$3.6 billion · 37.8%
10. Honduras$7.9 billion · 37.5%
11. Jamaica$2.6 billion · 36.6%
12. Dominican Republic$12.7 billion · 35.3%
13. Belize$580 million · 34.5%
14. Haiti$1.1 billion · 34%
15. Peru$30.5 billion · 31.3%
16. Cuba$1.1 billion · 28.4%
17. Aruba$303 million · 28.2%
18. Chile$42.8 billion · 27.6%
19. Bahamas$2.8 billion · 27.5%
20. Suriname$588 million · 26.9%

The largest by value through it

1. United States$441 billion · 20.6%
2. China$128.7 billion · 3.8%
3. Canada$71.8 billion · 20.4%
4. Mexico$55.4 billion · 16%
5. Chile$42.8 billion · 27.6%
6. South Korea$40 billion · 4.8%
7. Japan$37.5 billion · 4.1%
8. Colombia$36.9 billion · 43.5%
9. Germany$32.6 billion · 2.6%
10. Peru$30.5 billion · 31.3%

The products with the highest estimated value in 2024, with their share of the total through the chokepoint.

1. Refined petroleum$53.3 billion · 8.4%
2. Cars$46.3 billion · 7.3%
3. Crude petroleum$35.6 billion · 5.6%
4. Natural gas and LPG$17.8 billion · 2.8%
5. Auto parts$13.1 billion · 2.1%
6. Refined copper$7.4 billion · 1.2%
7. Trucks$7.3 billion · 1.2%
8. Coal$6.6 billion · 1%
9. Bananas$5.6 billion · 0.88%
10. Soybeans$5.3 billion · 0.84%

• China–United States: +1,722 nautical miles, ≈ 5 days more at 14 knots, via the Strait of Malacca and Singapore; the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait; the Suez Canal; and the Strait of Gibraltar
• South Korea–United States: +2,517 nautical miles, ≈ 7.5 days more at 14 knots, via the Strait of Malacca and Singapore; the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait; the Suez Canal; and the Strait of Gibraltar
• Japan–United States: +3,178 nautical miles, ≈ 9.5 days more at 14 knots, via the Strait of Malacca and Singapore; the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait; the Suez Canal; and the Strait of Gibraltar
• Canada–United States: +8,396 nautical miles, ≈ 25 days more at 14 knots, via the Cape Horn
• Mexico–United States: +8,767 nautical miles, ≈ 26 days more at 14 knots, via the Cape Horn
• Germany–United States: +6,131 nautical miles, ≈ 18 days more at 14 knots, via the Strait of Dover and the Cape Horn
• Canada–Mexico: +8,259 nautical miles, ≈ 24.5 days more at 14 knots, via the Cape Horn
• Chile–United States: +3,910 nautical miles, ≈ 11.5 days more at 14 knots, via the Cape Horn
• Brazil–United States: +1,325 nautical miles, ≈ 4 days more at 14 knots, via the Cape Horn
• China–Colombia: +4,376 nautical miles, ≈ 13 days more at 14 knots, via the Strait of Malacca and Singapore; the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait; the Suez Canal; and the Strait of Gibraltar

Estimated sailing detour, without costs, waiting or port capacity.

Estimated value through the chokepoint and the share of each pair’s seaborne trade that crosses it.

1. China–United States$83.9 billion · 22.7%
2. South Korea–United States$32.9 billion · 22.7%
3. Japan–United States$31.4 billion · 22.7%
4. Canada–United States$28.7 billion · 33.7%
5. Mexico–United States$27.6 billion · 49.9%
6. Germany–United States$21.6 billion · 17.6%
7. Canada–Mexico$20.6 billion · 60.9%
8. Chile–United States$19.1 billion · 66.7%
9. Brazil–United States$15.2 billion · 24.5%
10. China–Colombia$13.3 billion · 87%

The other chokepoints

• Strait of Malacca and Singapore
• Strait of Dover
• Strait of Gibraltar
• Cape of Good Hope
• Turkish Straits
• Øresund
• Strait of Hormuz
• Bab-el-Mandeb Strait
• Suez Canal
• Kiel Canal

Sources and licenses

• CEPII BACI · Licence Ouverte Etalab 2.0
• World Bank, Global Shipping Traffic Density · CC BY 4.0 (route network derived by this site)
• World Port Index (NGA) · Public domain (US Government work)
• Natural Earth · Public domain
• Kummu et al., gridded GDP · CC BY 4.0 (split between ports done by this site)

Methodology

We estimate the value crossing each chokepoint from BACI trade that travels by sea according to our mode heuristic, split between each country’s ports by where its GDP is generated and which coast is closest, and routed over our own sea network. It is an estimate, not a count of ships. It covers 99.9% of seaborne trade; seaborne trade is 54% of world trade by value. The approach follows Verschuur, Lumma and Hall (Nature Communications, 2025). Data up to 2024.