An American trade group representing port authorities is rebutting “alarmist” media reports that cranes built in China and used in U.S. ports pose a security risk.
In a recent statement, the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) said there have been no known security breaches as a result of any cranes at U.S. ports.
The group also said crane are also unable to track where shipping containers came from, what the boxes contain, or where they are going.
“China has subsidized crane manufacturing in a way that makes their cranes half the cost. To correct this imbalance, the U.S. should build out its reshoring tools to bolster the manufacturing of critical equipment,” the AAPA said.
“Without reshoring our domestic manufacturing capacity, legislative proposals to hastily remove cranes from U.S. ports without immediate replacements would harm U.S. supply chains, jack up prices for everyone, and exacerbate inflation even further,” the AAPA continued.
At issue are some recent media reports in which commenters lump together broader concerns about Chinese technology with equipment used to load and unload cargo at American ports. The AAPA said it closely tracks any potential risks to U.S. ports, and is not aware of any cyber incidents involving Chinese-made cranes.
“I like a good spy movie, but you need a smoking gun to make it a blockbuster, and there’s no smoke in this story,” Cary Davis, AAPA’s vice president and general counsel, said in a statement. “Just picture American factories churning out world-class, connected, low-emissions and user-friendly cranes, trucks and tractors. That’s the opportunity we have here.”