What does "merchant fleet" mean?

A fleet of merchant ships, calculated either on a country-by-country basis, or on a global basis.

What is a synonym for "merchant fleet"?

Common synonyms include: argosy, argosy, armada, coast guard, division, fleet.

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
A fleet of merchant ships, calculated either on a country-by-country basis, or on a global basis.
"the global merchant fleet"