from Financial ..Times 27/11/63
fithough the U.K. stilloperntes by far the world's largest active floet of merchant ships, the size of this fleet declined slightly in the year to July, 1963, for the first time in ton years, ly contrast the world total of merchant shipping rose over the same poriod by 5.9 m. eross tons to 145.9 m. tons, The Dritish fleet contracted during the year by 93,000 tons to 21,561 m. tons, mainly as a rosult of scrapping of olderly tonnage, All of this decline must have occurred in the dry-cargo sector of the fleet as the size of the U.K.'s tanker fleot rose by 331,000 tons over the period to 7.79 m. tons, According to Lloyd's Register of Shipping the U.S. merchant fleot showed the only other national decline during tho year, of 140,000 tons to 23eL Me tONSes6x