Abstract
The growth of the Soviet merchant fleet since the mid-I95os has been striking. Total fleet tonnage has increased by as much as a third in some years, and the Soviet fleet had risen to the rank of sixth-largest flag fleet in the world by the end of I968 (see Table i). Soviet sources give (in deadweight tonnage and slightly different definitions from those of Table i) plan targets for a fleet of 3 million tons in 1970 and 17-18 in I975.1 Like other Soviet incursions into particular world markets, this has aroused considerable apprehension. The price-cutting and hard bargaining used by the Soviet Union in entering the EuropeAustralia liner conferences attracted particular attention. It has even been suggested that Soviet policy is to attack the whole conference system, either by undercutting from outside or by some sort of Trojan horse methods from within.
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