As evident in chapter 1, the U.S.S.R. was never very much interested in importing consumer goods from the West. The items it did import for the consumer were not the household appliances and luxury items we sometimes think of as consumer goods--but were usually food. These imports have been higher at times than others: for example they were relatively high in the late 1930's and again in 1948. Since 1950 they have been rising again, but by 1953 they were still breaking no records. They have always represented a relatively small percentage of total Soviet imports. At the same time, during the postwar years Soviet policies were forcing the consumer-goods imports of the European satellites steadily downward. These contrasting trends of rising Soviet imports and sinking satellite imports seemed likely to continue in 1954. This probability, plus Mikoyan's statement in his October speech that "we are helping the People's Democracies with certain commodities," made one wonder how much of the new Soviet imports of butter and other food were being reshipped to Eastern Germany and other satellites to alleviate the unrest there. =A Shopping Spree for Ships= The U.S.S.R., while ordering more consumer goods, seemed even more anxious to buy ships. Every trade agreement which the U.S.S.R. has signed with a shipbuilding nation of Western Europe since mid-1953--that is, with Finland, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, France and Sweden--has included a sizeable quota for ship purchases, particularly fishing vessels and refrigerator ships. Contracts for fishing vessels were also made with firms in the United Kingdom and Western Germany. It was safe to say that Soviet activity with respect to Western European shipyards since mid-1953 surpassed the biggest previous shopping expedition for ships, which came around 1949. And it was clear that by early 1954 the U.S.S.R. had greater commitments on the books to buy ships from the West than at any other time in its history. This was true in tonnage, value, and number of vessels. Probably not all the trade agreement commitments will result in actual deliveries; on the other hand, the shopping spree is still going on and further commitments are likely. Because of Western restrictions on the export of certain types of ships, the new vessels destined for the Soviet Union were mainly of smaller types. A large number were fishing vessels, such as trawlers, fish processing craft, and refrigerator ships. Others were cargo ships, tugs and barges.