Two cranes at Port Tampa Bay are under scrutiny amid concerns that Chinese-made ship-to-shore cranes represent a national security risk.
In February, the Biden administration announced plans to invest more than $20 billion into port infrastructure over the next five years. Part of the plan involves onshoring domestic manufacturing capacity for cranes, since the United States lacks a major crane supplier.
Chinese cranes made by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Company Limited (ZPMC) account for nearly 80% of cranes at U.S. ports. A recent congressional probe identified communications devices, including cellular modems in some cases, on a number of those cranes. The Pentagon and the White House are “increasingly alarmed,” the Wall Street Journal reported.
“By design, these cranes may be controlled, serviced and programmed from remote locations. These features potentially leave [China]-manufactured cranes vulnerable to exploitation,” Adm. Jay Vann, commander of the Coast Guard Cyber Command in D.C., said in a February briefing.
Tampa Bay Business Journal
