Makassar Strait: why this chokepoint matters, which countries sit on it, and the latest Bureau coverage.
Last updated: October 2026
Bureau read: 1 country sits on this passage; Indonesia (73.44/100). A chokepoint is judged by how many navies can hold it — and by the power of those who border it.
The Makassar Strait is the deep waterway between Borneo (Kalimantan) and Sulawesi in Indonesia, connecting the Celebes Sea to the Java Sea. It is the northern leg of the Lombok–Makassar route — the deep-water alternative to Malacca for fully laden oil tankers — and the system carries roughly 3.5 million barrels of oil per day.
Indonesia border this passage. The Bureau's page for each country shows its national power score and full profile.
The Makassar Strait is a strategic chokepoint — a narrow passage through which a large share of world trade or energy flows. A blockage or disruption here reroutes shipping, raises freight costs, and ripples into prices worldwide.
Each chokepoint carries a plain risk rating: Critical means the flow is disrupted or under direct threat; Tense means it works but pressure is building; Calm means normal operations. Ratings are reviewed every week.
The Lombok–Makassar system carries roughly 3.5 million barrels of oil per day (EIA, World Oil Transit Chokepoints, 2025, figures for the Lombok Strait transit) — the Makassar Strait is the northern leg of that route.
The Bureau's page does not state a single percentage of global trade for the strait. Its importance is as the deep-water relief valve for Malacca: fully laden VLCCs too deep for Malacca use Lombok–Makassar instead.
Between Borneo (Kalimantan) and Sulawesi in Indonesia, connecting the Celebes Sea to the Java Sea; about 800 kilometres long and up to about 2,500 metres deep.
Deep-draft oil traffic is forced back to Malacca (draft-restricted) or around Australia — adding thousands of kilometres to Middle East–Asia oil flows.
Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), World Oil Transit Chokepoints (2025) — Lombok Strait transit volumes (the Lombok–Makassar system). Indonesian Ministry of Transportation — strait dimensions. Observation date: 11 Oct 2026.
