This article compares the competitiveness as a result of maritime poli
cies of two modern American privately owned fleets employed in transpo
rting cargoes in international maritime commerce by deep draft ocean-g
oing vessels. The first fleet flies the U.S. flag and is primarily in
containership liner service. The second fleet flies one of four foreig
n flags and is mainly in the bulk trades. The fleet is American owned,
and identified as ''effective U.S. controlled'' (EUSC).(1) U.S. gover
nment policies have resulted in economic costs to these American fleet
s that their foreign competitors do not carry.