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How much of China’s trade passes through the Strait of Gibraltar?

In 2024, an estimated $370.5 billion of China’s trade passed through the Strait of Gibraltar, 11% of its seaborne trade. That is $305.4 billion of exports and $65.1 billion of imports. The partners with the most trade through it are France, Spain and Italy.

Summary

Estimated value
$370.5billion
Of its seaborne trade
11%
Exports
$305.4billion
Imports
$65.1billion

Trend

Estimated value per year

China’s estimated trade through the Strait of Gibraltar rose 6% between 2019 and 2024

Value in USD billions

  • China 370

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearEstimated valueOf its seaborne trade
1995$26.6 billion12.1%
1996$28.8 billion12.2%
1997$31.5 billion12.1%
1998$35.2 billion13.6%
1999$40.4 billion13.7%
2000$53 billion14.9%
2001$59.5 billion15.9%
2002$70.8 billion15.8%
2003$89.5 billion15.9%
2004$112.1 billion15.3%
2005$134.1 billion15.3%
2006$163.2 billion15.4%
2007$206 billion15.6%
2008$234.4 billion15.3%
2009$207.9 billion15.8%
2010$267.7 billion15.2%
2011$306.1 billion14.5%
2012$284.8 billion13.2%
2013$300.1 billion13.5%
2014$319.6 billion14%
2015$291 billion14%
2016$293.2 billion14.8%
2017$316.3 billion14.2%
2018$337.6 billion13.7%
2019$350.5 billion14.2%
2020$363.3 billion15%
2021$456.2 billion14.8%
2022$511.8 billion14.9%
2023$466.3 billion14.3%
2024$370.5 billion11%

Partners whose trade crosses it

Estimated value of its trade with each partner that crosses the chokepoint; the percentage is the share of all its trade through the chokepoint, not of the pair’s trade.

  1. China–France$55.1 billion · 14.9%
  2. China–Spain$38.8 billion · 10.5%
  3. China–Italy$36.5 billion · 9.8%
  4. China–Turkey$34.1 billion · 9.2%
  5. China–Germany$23.4 billion · 6.3%
  6. China–Russia$12.5 billion · 3.4%
  7. China–United Kingdom$12.2 billion · 3.3%
  8. China–Austria$11.4 billion · 3.1%
  9. China–Ukraine$11.2 billion · 3%
  10. China–Egypt$10 billion · 2.7%

What crosses it

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

  1. Cars$18.8 billion · 5.1%
  2. Batteries$10.1 billion · 2.7%
  3. Auto parts$8.3 billion · 2.2%
  4. Transformers and power supplies$7 billion · 1.9%
  5. Computer and office machine parts$6.7 billion · 1.8%
  6. Diodes, transistors and solar cells$6.6 billion · 1.8%
  7. Electric heaters and hair dryers$5.3 billion · 1.4%
  8. Lamps and light fittings$4.8 billion · 1.3%
  9. Bags, suitcases and cases$4.7 billion · 1.3%
  10. Refined petroleum$4.5 billion · 1.2%

If it closes

  • China–Germany: +3,065 nautical miles, ≈ 9 days more at 14 knots, via the Panama Canal and the Strait of Dover

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

Reference ports

Shanghai (100%)

Each port with the weight it receives from the country’s trade, based on where its GDP is generated and which coast is closest.

Other chokepoints it uses

Sources and method

Sources and licenses

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. The approach follows Verschuur, Lumma and Hall (Nature Communications, 2025). Data up to 2024.

All maritime chokepoints