China-made cranes used in US ports could pose a security threat, according to a new congressional report.
The report identified cranes manufactured by China-based ZPMC in particular, and alleged that the state-owned company has put pressure on some US port operators to give it remote access to the cranes’ modems, which ZPMC said was needed for maintenance. In some cases, the modems were installed without port authorities’ knowledge, the report stated.
The modems may be used to covertly collect sensitive information that could disrupt US ports and supply chains, the report warned.
In an acknowledgment of the risk to US infrastructure, the Biden administration recently announced plans to replace foreign-made cranes with American-manufactured ones, and imposed a 25% tariff on cranes made in China.