601 
merchant marine is of even greater importance today, for the 
economic and political independence of the United States, than it 
has been at any other time in the peacetime history of the country. 
In the past 10 years alone, foreign trade has grown from 7 percent 
of the Nation’s GNP to 14 percent; most of the overseas trade is 
shipped by boat. Overseas imports of oil have grown to more than 
7 million barrels per day and are projected to rise to between 9 
million and 10 million barrels per day by 1980. Of 27 essential raw 
materials required by the United States, 10 are imported in excess 
of 75 percent and 19 in excess of 25 percent.’ Without access 
to those raw materials, the country would quickly cease to function. 
By contrast, the Soviet Union is a net exporter of oil, primarily 
overland to Eastern and Western Europe. The U.S.S.R. is much less 
dependent on imported raw materials than the United States. 
Among the 10 largest merchant fleets of the world today, only 
the 9th and 10th on the list—the U.S. and the U.S.S.R._—have large 
navies. Several of the eight other nations with large merchant fleets 
depend completely, or in part, on the U.S. Navy for protection of 
commerce in peacetime and protection of sea lines of communication 
in wartime. 
The need for a viable merchant marine has not only been defended 
for reasons of national security, but also for economic reasons. 
COMPARATIVE STRENGTH AND WEAKNESSES OF THE UNITED STATES 
AND SOVIET MERCHANT MARINE 
During the Second World War, the Soviet Union lost nearly half 
of its merchant marine, in tonnage, or about 380 vessels. Many of 
its shipyards were devastated in the fighting. In 1946, the Soviet 
fleet was about one-twentieth the size of the U.S. fleet: The U.S.S.R. 
had a merchant marine of about 400 ships or 2 million deadweight 
tons (dwt)—of which 0.5 million tons of the newest and best ships 
was provided by the United States under the Lend-Lease Act while 
the United States had a merchant marine fleet of 50.8 million dead- 
weight tons.!° As of December 31, 1975, the Soviet Union had 2,352 
and the United States 580 merchant vessels. The United States held 
a slight edge over the Soviet Union in total tonnage: 15.3 million 
versus 15 million tons; the United States has the 9th, and the Soviet 
Union the 10th, largest merchant marine fleet in the world.’ The 
U.S. fleet is considerably older than the Soviet fleet. The Soviet fleet 
is projected to increase by about 22 percent, from 15.1 million dead- 
weight tons at the end of 1975 to 18.4 million deadweight tons at 
the end of 1980.!°8 If ship procurement is accomplished according 
to plan, the Soviet merchant marine may surpass the U.S. merchant 
fleet, in tonnage, within the next few years. Comparing the size of 
the merchant fleet of the two countries in relation to the volume 
of overseas trade carried in domestic flag ships, the Soviet Union 
today performs much better than the United States. 
105 Information received from Dr. Allan Agnew, Senior Specialist in Mining and Mineral Resources 
at the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress. 
106 [J]. S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Commerce, National Ocean Policy Study, Soviet Ocean 
Activities: A Preliminary Survey. (committee print) Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1975. 
107 See p. 333 on Soviet Shipping Strength and Its Employment, Table 3. 
108 [bid. In the period from 1953 to 1973, the Soviet merchant fleet increased by 443 percent, while 
the U.S. merchant fleet decreased by 66 percent. 
