Tacking in Stormy Weather: The Shipping Act of 1984

The United States merchant marine is currently losing a substantial percentage of potential shipping revenues to foreign competitors.Statistics indicate that domestic liners transport only 4.2% of the total United States imports and exports carried by sea. 1 More significantly, foreign carriers are receiving approximately seventy percent of all shipping revenues available in United States trade. 2 Although awareness of the merchant marine's weakened position is increasing, 3 finding an adequate solution is made I Gonzalez, Bilateralism: The Solution to an Antiquated International Shipping Policy, 36 J. INT'L AFF.329, 329 (1983).The statistics were calculated for 1979.In contrast, Japan's merchant marine transported over 40% of total Japanese imports and exports during the same year.Id.Norway, Spain, Great Britain, Greece, West Germany, and France all maintain merchant marines which transport at least 30% of their own foreign trades.