UK / France · English Channel ↔ North Sea
Dover Strait — Ship Transits Today
Daily vessel transits through the Dover Strait, by ship type, compared with the same week last year. Updated daily.
Daily transits, last 90 days
By vessel type
Ships/day, 7-day average| Type | Ships/day |
|---|---|
| Container ships | 27.9 |
| Tankers | 44.3 |
| Dry bulk | 21.3 |
| General cargo | 26.4 |
| Ro-ro | 8.9 |
Cargo-carrying capacity transiting (deadweight) is -13% against the same week last year.
About the Dover Strait
The Dover Strait is the narrowest part of the English Channel and the approach to Rotterdam, Antwerp, Hamburg and the other North Range ports.
Traffic is steady and heavily regulated by a traffic separation scheme; storms and port strikes at the North Range are the usual causes of swings.
Source: IMF PortWatch daily chokepoint transits, built from satellite AIS by the IMF and the University of Oxford.
Shipping through the Dover Strait? Track your container or vessel free with Shyppy — live position, ETA changes and rollover alerts. Compare routings with the sea distance calculator, or see all chokepoints.
Questions
How many ships pass through the Dover Strait per day?
In the 7 days to 25 October 2026, an average of 128.7 vessels a day transited the Dover Strait, compared with 155.4 a day in the same week last year (-17%).
Is the Dover Strait open?
Yes — ships were transiting the Dover Strait in the latest data (25 October 2026). Traffic is currently below normal compared with last year.
What disrupts traffic through the Dover Strait?
Traffic is steady and heavily regulated by a traffic separation scheme; storms and port strikes at the North Range are the usual causes of swings.
Where does this data come from?
IMF PortWatch, which counts vessel crossings from satellite AIS. Shyppy refreshes it daily and compares the 7-day average with the same week a year earlier.
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