Written question asked by Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative) on Tuesday, 24 March 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 26 March 2026. It was answered by Chris Bryant (Labour) on Wednesday, 1 April 2026 on behalf of the Department for Business and Trade.

Shipping: Houthis

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of disruption to shipping by the Houthis in the Bab el Mandeb Strait on global trade.

Answer: Since the Houthi began attacks on international shipping in October 2023, global maritime trade via the Bab el Mandeb Strait (including ships coming to or leaving from the UK) has reduced very significantly. While precise trade figures for 2025 and onwards have yet to be released, global shipping continues to favour safer trade routes by largely avoiding the Suez / Bab el Mandeb Strait route. The Department continues to assess the vulnerability of the UK’s critical inputs caused by the numerous risks to maritime supply routes.

Secondary information