Chokepoints: Detours, Delays, and Dollars

A small delivery rerouted around a tense strait becomes a window into the hidden machinery of global trade. In this episode, we follow a quiet detour to unpack how maritime chokepoints—from Suez and Bab el‑Mandeb to Hormuz, Panama, Malacca, and the Lakshadweep–Minicoy corridor—shape routes, schedules, and the prices we all pay. Segment 1 traces the on‑the‑ground decisions behind a simple “route under review” alert. Segment 2 dives into the economics: war‑risk premiums, detours, fuel, capacity, and the new “resilience premium” built into freight and inventory. Segment 3 looks ahead: naval escorts, corridor diplomacy, climate‑strained canals, and what “war‑sustenance” means in a world that’s learning to sail wide around its narrowest places. Clear, calm, and story‑led, this is an inside look at how a few miles of water can move the whole economy.