Malacca Strait Trade Network

Timeline

1. 1561–1565Malacca · MalaccaThe Portuguese colonial authorities in Malacca implemented the cartaz ship-pass system, requiring passing merchant ships to register in port and pay customs duties in an attempt to control traffic in the middle of the strait. In the 1560s enforcement of the system fluctuated and failed to prevent many Chinese and Malay vessels from bypassing it through nearby ports.
2. 1563–1568Southern tip of the Malay Peninsula and northern Sumatra · Malay PeninsulaThe Johor Sultanate controlled the ports of the southern peninsula, while Aceh monopolized the clove and pepper producing areas of northern Sumatra. In the 1560s the two states both competed for influence over the entrances and exits of the Malacca Strait and maintained direct trade with Chinese, Indian, and Middle Eastern merchants, forming pluralistic network nodes coexisting with Portugal.
3. 1565–1570Malacca Strait shipping lanes · Malacca StraitPorcelain, silk, copper coins, silver coins, firearms, cloves, and sandalwood were exchanged at ports along the strait. After China opened Yuegang port, private trade on the southeast coast grew, and in the 1560s more Chinese merchant fleets entered the strait via the South China Sea. Arab and Gujarati merchants came from the west, keeping the Malacca Strait a key position in the early modern global trade network.