Chokepoints › Bosphorus (Turkish Straits)
Bosphorus (Turkish Straits) shipping traffic
Black Sea · Daily ship transits from IMF PortWatch, latest day Nov 8, 2026.
Traffic is 15% below its 90-day average (7-day average 45.4 ships a day vs 53.6).
Daily transits, last 30 days
Bright bars: tankers. Faded bars: all other ships.
Why the Bosphorus (Turkish Straits) matters
The Bosphorus runs through Istanbul and, with the Sea of Marmara and the Dardanelles, forms the Turkish Straits: the only sea route between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. Turkey controls passage under the Montreux Convention. Russian and Kazakh crude, Russian oil products, and grain from Russia and Ukraine move through it, so its traffic links the war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russian oil to world energy and food prices.
Markets to watch
- Wheat and corn: Black Sea grain exports reach world markets through the straits.
- Urals and CPC crude differentials: Russian and Kazakh crude exports use the route.
- Tanker rates and war-risk insurance: Black Sea risk changes the cost of every voyage.
Related
Other chokepoints: Kerch Strait, Suez Canal, Strait of Gibraltar.
Country risk: Turkey, Russia, Ukraine.
FAQ
How many ships pass through the Bosphorus (Turkish Straits) each day?
In the 7 days to Nov 8, 2026, an average of 45.4 ships a day passed through the Bosphorus (Turkish Straits), including 12.7 tankers, against 53.6 a day over the previous 90 days. Counts come from IMF PortWatch satellite AIS data.
Who controls the Bosphorus?
Turkey. Passage through the Turkish Straits is governed by the 1936 Montreux Convention, which guarantees merchant ships free transit in peacetime and lets Turkey restrict warships.
What goes through the Bosphorus?
Grain from Russia and Ukraine, Russian and Kazakh crude, Russian oil products and general cargo between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.