The Graphic Truth: Global maritime bottlenecks

The Graphic Truth: Global maritime bottlenecks
Gabriella Turrisi

Traffic finally resumed on Monday in the Suez Canal, almost a week after a massive container ship ran aground, causing a logjam of hundreds of vessels on either end of the busy waterway. The recent disruption in the Suez — which links the Mediterranean to the Red Sea via Egypt and accounts for 10 percent of global maritime shipping volume — has caused significant damage to global supply chains already overstretched by rising demand due to the pandemic. Analysts say that the disruption from the delays could still have an impact for several weeks. But this canal is just one of a host of naval chokepoints worldwide. We take a look at the busiest maritime bottlenecks, along with their share of global trade in oil and grains.

More from GZERO Media

Hurricane Melissa, which has developed into a Category 5 storm, moves north in the Caribbean Sea towards Jamaica and Cuba in a composite satellite image obtained by Reuters on October 27, 2025.
CIRA/NOAA/Handout via REUTERS

30: Hurricane Melissa, which was upgraded over the weekend to a Category 5 storm, is expected to hit Jamaica on Monday and bring 30 inches of rain and 165-mph winds, in what will be one of the most intense storms to ever hit the island.

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh as East Timor's Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao and Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong look on at the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 26, 2025.
Vincent Thian/Pool via REUTERS

The US president signed a raft of trade deals on Sunday at the ASEAN summit in Malaysia, but the main event of his Asia trip will be his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

Argentina's President Javier Milei celebrates after the La Libertad Avanza party won the midterm election, which is seen as crucial for Milei's administration after U.S. President Donald Trump warned that future support for Argentina would depend on Milei's party performing well in the vote, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 26, 2025.
REUTERS/Cristina Sille
- YouTube

On GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, Tristan Harris of the Center for Humane Technology warns that tech companies are racing to build powerful AI models and ignoring mental health risks and other consequences for society and humanity.

Tristan Harris, co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, joins Ian Bremmer on the GZERO World Podcast to talk about the risks of recklessly rolling out powerful AI tools without guardrails as big tech firms race to build “god in a box.”

- YouTube

The next leap in artificial intelligence is physical. On Ian Explains, Ian Bremmer breaks down how robots and autonomous machines will transform daily life, if we can manage the risks that come with them.