Persistent Houthi attacks and a declared maritime blockade targeting Saudi-linked tonnage have kept Bab el-Mandeb volumes suppressed, with recent daily AIS-confirmed crossings fluctuating between 36 and 39 amid dark transits and war-risk premiums exceeding 1% of hull value. Recent fatal strikes, including the August 11 incident killing six, and ongoing targeting of tankers have deterred mainstream carriers, though Suez Canal traffic has edged higher to post-2024 peaks as select operators like MSC resume limited services. Elevated insurance costs, rerouting via the Cape of Good Hope, and the mix of sanctioned or shadow vessels create uncertainty around stabilization or further declines by end-September, driving closely matched market-implied odds across the 25–34 daily bins.
Experimental AI-generated summary referencing Polymarket data. This is not trading advice and plays no role in how this market resolves. · UpdatedAvg. # of ships transiting Bab el-Mandeb Strait end of September?
30-34 27.5%
25-29 26%
<25 19.3%
35-39 19%
<25
19%
25-29
26%
30-34
27%
35-39
19%
40+
10%
30-34 27.5%
25-29 26%
<25 19.3%
35-39 19%
<25
19%
25-29
26%
30-34
27%
35-39
19%
40+
10%
Transit calls include container, dry bulk, roll-on/roll-off, general cargo, and tanker ships. Ships not reported by IMF Portwatch will not be considered.
This market will resolve as soon as the relevant data has been published. If the relevant data is not published within 14 calendar days of the specified date, this market will resolve based on the most recent data published up to that point.
In case of obvious data integrity issues (i.e., erroneous data), the market may remain open until the end of the third calendar day (ET) after the date on which such data is first released to allow for corrections. Data integrity issues refer only to clerical or other similar errors in the underlying data, and do not include cases where IMF Portwatch differs from alternative sources.
The resolution source for this market will be IMF PortWatch, specifically the “Arrivals of Ships” data published for the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at https://portwatch.imf.org/pages/6b1814d64903461b98144a6cc25eb79c.
Market Opened: Aug 26, 2026, 6:14 PM ET
Resolution Source
IMF PortWatchResolver
0x69c47De9D...Transit calls include container, dry bulk, roll-on/roll-off, general cargo, and tanker ships. Ships not reported by IMF Portwatch will not be considered.
This market will resolve as soon as the relevant data has been published. If the relevant data is not published within 14 calendar days of the specified date, this market will resolve based on the most recent data published up to that point.
In case of obvious data integrity issues (i.e., erroneous data), the market may remain open until the end of the third calendar day (ET) after the date on which such data is first released to allow for corrections. Data integrity issues refer only to clerical or other similar errors in the underlying data, and do not include cases where IMF Portwatch differs from alternative sources.
The resolution source for this market will be IMF PortWatch, specifically the “Arrivals of Ships” data published for the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at https://portwatch.imf.org/pages/6b1814d64903461b98144a6cc25eb79c.
Resolution Source
IMF PortWatchResolver
0x69c47De9D...Persistent Houthi attacks and a declared maritime blockade targeting Saudi-linked tonnage have kept Bab el-Mandeb volumes suppressed, with recent daily AIS-confirmed crossings fluctuating between 36 and 39 amid dark transits and war-risk premiums exceeding 1% of hull value. Recent fatal strikes, including the August 11 incident killing six, and ongoing targeting of tankers have deterred mainstream carriers, though Suez Canal traffic has edged higher to post-2024 peaks as select operators like MSC resume limited services. Elevated insurance costs, rerouting via the Cape of Good Hope, and the mix of sanctioned or shadow vessels create uncertainty around stabilization or further declines by end-September, driving closely matched market-implied odds across the 25–34 daily bins.
Experimental AI-generated summary referencing Polymarket data. This is not trading advice and plays no role in how this market resolves. · Updated
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