Around one fifth (20%) of EU trade passes through the Red Sea.

Omissions

• No independent primary statistical source giving the EU-specific share of trade passing through the Red Sea was found; the exact figure appears in Kallas's own EEAS statement and in news articles reporting the same statement.
• UNCTAD data refer to the Suez Canal's share of global trade (approximately 12–15% in 2023), not to the share of EU trade, so they neither confirm nor refute the 20% EU-specific figure.
• News articles repeating the figure were published after the 2026-10-20 session and merely report the speaker's statement rather than independently verifying it.

Sources

• PrimaryUNCTAD — Red Sea, Black Sea and Panama Canal: UNCTAD raises alarm over global trade disruptionsThe Suez Canal, a critical waterway connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, handled approximately 12% to 15% of global trade in 2023.
• SecondaryEEAS — Statement on the Escalation of Houthi attacks and implications for regional securityThe Gulf is where Europe's best hopes are for diversifying trade supplies. Around a fifth of the EU's trade already passes through the Red Sea.
• SecondaryThe National — European Parliament asks EU to list Houthis as terror group... Europe's best hopes are for diversifying trade supplies,' Ms Kallas said. 'Around a fifth of the EU's trade already passes through the Red Sea.'