332 
seaborne foreign trade carried in Soviet ships dropped from 55 percent 
in 1959 to 37 percent in 1961 and 1962. 
THE CURRENT SIZE AND STANDING OF THE SOVIET MERCHANT FLEET 
Ship deliveries of 900,000 deadweight tons (dwt) in 1974 brought 
the size of the U.S.S.R. merchant fleet to 1,590 vessels totaling 14.2 
million dwt at the end of the year, 3 percent of world tonnage. 
However, additions to the Panamanian, French, and Italian fleets were 
greater, dropping the Soviet fleet from seventh to tenth largest in 
the world. At no time has the Soviet fleet accounted for more than 
4 percent of world merchant tonnage or for more than 35 percent 
of that of any one of the three leading domestically owned ! fleets—the 
Japanese, British, and Norwegian (see table 3). 
A QUALITATIVE LOOK AT THE CURRENT SOVIET FLEET 
Although 65 percent of the tonnage in the Soviet fleet is under 
10 years old, it is not competitive by Western standards. Its tankers 
and dry bulk carriers are small and most of its cargo liners are 
technologically backward. The size of Soviet ships averages only 9,000 
dwt—less than half the world average—due largely to draft restrictions 
at shallow Soviet ports. Few Soviet harbors can handle dry cargo 
ships larger than 23,000 dwt or tankers above 50,000 dwt. Con- 
sequently, in an era when tankers of almost 500,000 dwt are in. 
operation, the U.S.S.R. had only one tanker, two combination oil/dry 
bulk carriers, and one dry bulk carrier larger than 50,000 dwt at 
the end of 1974. All four of these ships are being used in other 
countries’ trades (cross trades) pending completion—in 1977 or 
later—of efforts to deepen Soviet ports. 
Despite the revolutionary impact of the containership on cargo | 
liner service around the world since 1960, Soviet entry into the con- 
tainer era has been slow and cautious. Its liner fleet still consists — 
largely of outmoded conventional ships, only a few of which carry | 
general cargo in containers. 
TABLE |.—Soviet merchant fleet size and growth 
Inventory as of December 31 Net increase in tonnage Deliveries 
Ne during year 
Million dead- Million dead- (million dead- 
Year Number weight tons weight tons Percent weight tons) 
OOo a 5 oe ee 590 a8) 0.3 6 0.4 
NES) Uae joensen 650 3.9 0.6 18 0.6 
196RR Yt . Bae 680 4.2 0.3 8 0.4 
19624 yeejed ee | 740 4.8 0.6 14 0.7 
1OGS. ae =. ee 820 SUF 0.9 19 0.9 
Sa ae al co alae 900 6.9 ie 21 1.3 
1965 £32. 475.1 eee 990 8.0 1.1 ‘16 1.2 
NOGGrs 28 tans eee 1,070 8.9 0.9 12 1.0 
UO Gtr ih ee Le 1,150 9.7 0.8 9 0.8 
LOGS ES  aAlva es. OS 1,230 10.4 0.7 8 0.8 
1969 tex. geperscry. 1,310 11.2 0.8 7 0.8 
NCUA) ae Seen Sea 1,400 11.9 0.7 aT 0.8 
WO lee ne eye ia ees 1,440 12.3 0.4 3 0.5 
197 DASA So, AUBES 1,460 12.6 0.3 2 0.5 
19739. .£& _ aigies _< 1,520 13.4 0.8 6 1.0 
Ee a eer eee 1,590 14.2 0.8 6 0.9 
s 
’ As opposed to ‘‘flag of convenience” fleets such as that of Liberia which is largely owned 
foreign interests. 
y 
