353° 
and lubricants, with imports of finished manufactured goods negligible 
in volume. A further increase in our imports from the U.S.S.R. in 
1975 is expected.* 
There has been a notable growth of the Soviet merchant fleet since 
1960. The U.S.S.R. is developing a world network of services that 
now competes with those operated by Western countries. In recent 
years, the U.S.S.R. has emerged as a major maritime power. Its ships 
incorporate many of the latest engineering innovations, and advanced 
research and development is being undertaken on a continuing basis 
in all aspects of ship design and propulsion. The Soviet cargo fleet 
stood at 14.2 million dwt as of the end of 1974 compared with 
13.4 million dwt at the end of 1973. Merchant ships are entering 
the Soviet merchant marine at a rate of close to one million DWT 
per year. Soviet flag ships are to be found serving most of the world’s 
major ports including those in the U.S. Apparently, every effort is 
being made to increase the size, scope, and extent of Soviet shipping 
activities. Soviet container and roll on/roll off shipping is beginning 
to appear on sea lanes to a sizable degree and are gradually becoming 
negular components of the U.S.S.R.’s international shipping opera- 
tions. 
The Soviet Far Eastern Shipping Company is considering an all- 
sea container service between Europe and the Far East. Black Sea 
Steamship Company has inaugurated a break-bulk service from the 
Continent to Southeast Asia. Baltic Steamship Company has confirmed 
vessel sailings to link Baltic and European ports to the U.S. East 
Coast. An alternative for the all-water cargo traffic between Europe 
and the Far East is by way of the Trans-Siberian landbridge which 
is currently being greatly expanded. This railway now accounts for 
10 percent of total cargo movements in the Europe/Far East trade. 
This share of the trade is expanding since the Trans-Siberian rates 
are as much as 25 percent below conference rates on major moving 
commodities. While transit times vary, the all-water and overland 
routes compare favorably. The Trans-Siberian traffic rose from 15,000 - 
containers in 1972 to 51,000 boxes in 1974 and there are estimates 
of 60,000 for 1975. Further expansion is subject to the continuing 
development of the ports of Nakhodka and Vostochnyy. One problem 
is: The volume of East-West traffic is twice that in the opposite 
direction.é 
Another significant development is the proposed inauguration by 
FESCO of a direct liner service from Canada and the U.S. West 
Coast to Nakhodka and thence to Europe—a route which would pro- 
vide a direct link between the Western U.S. and Canada and points 
in Europe via the Trans-Siberian landbridge. The Russians are develop- 
ing other feeder links to tie Nakhodka to Manila, Hong Kong, and 
South Korea. Soviet shipping will likely continue to expand as new 
ships are delivered and brought on the line for service.’ Another 
route now being served by Soviet carriers is that between Europe 
and Australia. 
The following tables show the Soviet-flag share of total liner, non- 
liner, and tanker cargoes on several trade routes in U.S. sea lanes 
where the U.S.S.R. merchant marine appears to be capturing a steadily 
increasing share of the traffic. The data used for the period January- 
* Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of East-West Trade. 
° Seatrade, March 1975. 
8 Ibid. 
7 Ibid. 
