Manila Galleon Trade Route

Timeline

1. 1565–1580Manila · LuzonAfter Urdaneta opened the Manila–Acapulco route, the Spanish colonial authorities institutionalized trans-Pacific shipping as an annual galleon voyage, and Manila became an entrepôt for Asian goods.
2. 1630–1640Acapulco · MexicoIn the 1630s the route maintained an annual rhythm: galleons carried Chinese goods from Manila across the North Pacific monsoon belt to Acapulco, then transshipped silver and American goods, forming an early globalized trade loop across the Pacific.
3. c. 1650–1700North Pacific route · North PacificAs other European powers entered East Asia and the Pacific, Spain tightened its monopoly over the route and its cargo quota management, adjusting galleon tonnage and escort requirements; the route continued but growth slowed.