354 
September, 1974, is the most current cargo information available on 
Soviet movements in these trades. 
On U.S. outbound routes, the Soviet share of total liner-type cargoes 
of 4 percent is noteworthy. Of particular importance are their shares 
of the liner tonnages on U.S. North Atlantic/European trade routes 
7, 32, and 34 even though the volume of cargo involved is not 
large. These percentage shares of 13 percent, 22 percent, and 17 
percent, respectively, are nonetheless important. The tonnages in- 
volved on trade routes 21 and 29—U.S. Gulf Coast/Europe and U.S. 
West Coast/Far East—are significant even though the respective per- 
centage shares of Soviet outbound traffic are only 5 and 6 percent. 
Soviet movements of outbound nonliner and tanker cargoes are 
negligible. 
Inbound, the overall Soviet share of total liner cargoes on the same 
trade routes is 3 percent. Their share of inbound liner cargo traffic 
on trade route 7—from German ports to the U.S. North Atlan- 
tic—where the Soviets accounted for 88,101 long tons or 12 percent 
of the total traffic is impressive. Another important trade area where 
the Soviet fleet is making inroads in the U.S. maritime trades is 
on trade route 29—the Far East to the U.S. West Coast—where 
FESCO ships accounted for 7 percent or 170,395 long tons of total 
inbound liner traffic. Here also nonliner and tanker tonnages were 
insignificant during the period. 
Indications are that the U.S.S.R. will continue to expand and up- 
grade its merchant marine and introduce additional shipping services. 
Improvements in the overall quality of.the fleet will be emphasized 
by continuing to add larger and more sophisticated classes of ships 
which will increasingly challenge and compete with the more 
technologically advanced fleets of the major western maritime powers. 
In general, U.S.-flag carriers face a serious competitor in the Soviet 
merchant marine—in particular from its growing fleet which will in- 
clude 31 fast, high-capacity containerships operating in world sea lanes 
by 1978. This will mean added and serious competition for other 
maritime nations in traditional freight markets. 
