Strait of Malacca: Freedom of Navigation for All?

About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of a proposed tax on shipping traffic in the Strait of Malacca and the broader issues of navigation rights under international law.

After weeks with the Strait of Hormuz on everyone’s lips, the Strait of Malacca comes into view after a suggestion from an Indonesian minister that it tax shipping traffic. As one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, with a huge share of global trade and energy passing through it, any ambiguity over its status has consequences. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, it is also a route that the world has the right to use. This balance is now being tested. So the question is - who really gets to decide what happens? Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Topics covered

• freedom of navigation
• shipping lanes
• global trade
• energy transport
• international law

Keywords

• Strait of Malacca
• shipping traffic
• global trade
• freedom of navigation
• international law

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: United Nations, Law of the Sea

Places: Strait of Malacca, Strait of Hormuz, Indonesia

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