Table 1-23: Number and Size of the U.S. Flag Merchant Fleet and Its Share of the World Fleet
Table 1-23: Number and Size of the U.S. Flag Merchant Fleet and Its Share of the World Fleet
(Oceangoing ships of 1,000 gross tons and over)
1960 | 1965 | 1970 | 1975 | 1980 | 1985 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
World fleet | 17,317 | 18,329 | 19,980 | 22,872 | 24,867 | 25,555 | 23,596 | 23,943 | 23,753 | 24,331 | 25,092 | 23,943 | 23,753 | 24,331 | 25,092 | 25,608 | 26,858 | 27,557 | 27,825 | 28,259 | 28,318 | 28,296 | 28,761 | 28,650 | 29,035 |
U.S. fleet | 2,926 | 2,376 | 1,579 | 857 | 864 | 737 | 636 | 619 | 603 | 565 | 543 | 619 | 603 | 565 | 543 | 509 | 495 | 477 | 470 | 463 | 454 | 443 | 426 | 418 | 412 |
U.S. share of the world fleet | 17% | 13% | 8% | 4% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
Freighters, Total | 2,138 | 1,747 | 1,076 | 511 | 471 | 417 | 367 | 359 | 349 | 322 | 308 | 359 | 349 | 322 | 308 | 295 | 292 | 288 | 289 | 284 | 286 | 283 | 276 | 209 | 205 |
DWT (thousands) | 21,877 | 18,127 | 11,733 | 7,051 | 6,885 | 7,353 | 7,265 | 7,156 | 7,211 | 7,040 | 6,866 | 7,156 | 7,211 | 7,040 | 6,866 | 6,517 | 6,419 | 6,458 | 6,732 | 6,696 | 6,680 | 6,635 | 6,404 | 5,092 | 5,043 |
General cargoa | N | N | N | 356 | 259 | 209 | 166 | 165 | 182 | 169 | 152 | 165 | 182 | 169 | 152 | 142 | 146 | 142 | 140 | 137 | 136 | 132 | 126 | 123 | 121 |
DWT (thousands) | N | N | N | 4,640 | 3,329 | 2,980 | 2,605 | 2,592 | 2,973 | 2,913 | 2,677 | 2,592 | 2,973 | 2,913 | 2,677 | 2,472 | 2,467 | 2,420 | 2,400 | 2,404 | 2,362 | 2,162 | 1,838 | 1,810 | 1,784 |
Containership | N | N | N | 109 | 121 | 104 | 92 | 92 | 83 | 87 | 86 | 92 | 83 | 87 | 86 | 81 | 83 | 85 | 91 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 90 | 86 | 84 |
DWT (thousands) | N | N | N | 1,773 | 2,289 | 2,651 | 2,856 | 2,856 | 2,722 | 2,812 | 2,802 | 2,856 | 2,722 | 2,812 | 2,802 | 2,600 | 2,639 | 2,743 | 3,096 | 3,056 | 3,058 | 3,200 | 3,292 | 3,282 | 3,259 |
Partial containerships | N | N | N | 37 | 68 | 63 | 59 | 52 | 30 | 3 | 3 | 52 | 30 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
DWT (thousands) | N | N | N | 510 | 940 | 904 | 836 | 741 | 456 | 57 | 57 | 741 | 456 | 57 | 57 | 57 | 17 | 17 | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
RO/RO | N | N | N | 9 | 23 | 41 | 50 | 50 | 54 | 63 | 67 | 50 | 54 | 63 | 67 | 69 | 62 | 60 | 58 | 58 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 65 | 65 |
DWT (thousands) | N | N | N | 128 | 327 | 818 | 968 | 967 | 1,060 | 1,258 | 1,330 | 967 | 1,060 | 1,258 | 1,330 | 1,388 | 1,296 | 1,278 | 1,236 | 1,236 | 1,260 | 1,273 | 1,273 | 1,431 | 1,431 |
Tankers, Total | 422 | 341 | 294 | 267 | 308 | 258 | 233 | 226 | 220 | 210 | 200 | 226 | 220 | 210 | 200 | 181 | 173 | 161 | 154 | 154 | 142 | 130 | 120 | 109 | 104 |
DWT (thousands) | 7,815 | 7,561 | 7,739 | 9,711 | 16,152 | 15,534 | 15,641 | 14,993 | 14,180 | 13,048 | 11,945 | 14,993 | 14,180 | 13,048 | 1,055 | 11,028 | 10,378 | 9,696 | 9,289 | 9,373 | 8,447 | 7,532 | 6,552 | 5,792 | 5,640 |
Petroleum/chemicalb ships | N | N | N | N | N | 244 | 219 | 212 | 206 | 196 | 186 | 212 | 206 | 196 | 186 | 167 | 159 | 148 | 145 | 146 | 142 | 130 | 120 | 109 | 104 |
DWT (thousands) | N | N | N | N | N | 14,574 | 14,681 | 14,033 | 13,279 | 12,143 | 11,040 | 14,033 | 13,279 | 12,143 | 11,040 | 10,123 | 9,473 | 8,857 | 8,737 | 8,845 | 8,447 | 7,532 | 6,552 | 5,792 | 5,640 |
Liquefied petroleum/natural gas ships | N | N | N | N | N | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 8 | N | N | N | N | N |
DWT (thousands) | N | N | N | N | N | 960 | 960 | 960 | 901 | 905 | 905 | 960 | 901 | 905 | 905 | 905 | 905 | 839 | 552 | 528 | N | N | N | N | N |
Combination/passenger and cargo, Total | 309 | 227 | 171 | 60 | 65 | 37 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 18 |
DWT (thousands) | 2,070 | 1,488 | 1,107 | 388 | 446 | 299 | 91 | 92 | 97 | 104 | 115 | 92 | 97 | 104 | 115 | 115 | 139 | 136 | 116 | 99 | 99 | 105 | 100 | 91 | 108 |
Bulk carriers, Total | 57 | 61 | 38 | 19 | 20 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 20 |
DWT (thousands) | 805 | 1,107 | 767 | 544 | 607 | 1,152 | 1,270 | 1,014 | 991 | 949 | 1,042 | 1,014 | 991 | 949 | 1,042 | 925 | 575 | 321 | 604 | 579 | 604 | 706 | 797 | 837 | 837 |
KEY: DWT = deadweight tons; N = data do not exist; RO/RO = roll-on/roll-off vessels.
a Includes barge carriers.
b Includes integrated tug/barges.
NOTES
Excludes nonmerchant type and/or U.S. Navy-owned vessels currently in the National Defense Reserve Fleet.
Excludes ships operating exclusively on the Great Lakes and inland waterways and special types such as: channel
ships, icebreakers, cable ships, and merchant ships owned by military forces. All data are as of December 31
of year shown. 2004 data is as of July 1, 2004.
SOURCES
1960-2000: U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, Merchant Fleets of the World (Washington, DC: Annual
issues), and unpublished revisions.
2001: U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, personal communication, August 27, 2002.
2002: U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, personal communication, August 11, 2003.
2003: U.S. Department of Transportatin, Maritime Administration, personal communication, June 16, 2004
2004: U.S. Department of Transportatin, Maritime Administration, personal communication, November 10, 2004