Reps. seek Chinese port crane info

U.S. House lawmakers who oversee the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) want to hold hearings and obtain access to classified and unclassified government documents by April 18 that expose potential security vulnerabilities posed by dozens of Chinese-made cranes at American ports across the country. It is "extremely worrisome" that about 80% of U.S. port cranes use Chinese software" manufactured by a Chinese company, said House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) in a statement. Green's committee is "demanding answers" of the risks the cranes pose to U.S. cybersecurity, which is a core aspect of the homeland security mission. The demand for more information follows a March 5 Wall Street Journal article detailing security concerns posed by the cranes, which are made by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries (ZPMC) and are used in most American ports. ZPMC has ties to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), according to lawmakers." The cranes are equipped with Chinese-made software that could be used to surveil port operations, U.S. officials said. No evidence has emerged that China has used the cranes to conduct nefarious activity, officials said. The committee wants DHS documentation pertaining to security vulnerabilities, and documentation that show the risk assessment and mitigation efforts in place as directed by Congress in 2021. Other documentation requested includes how the U.S. Coast Guard operates with ports to mitigate cybersecurity risks. U.S. ports help facilitate $5.4T worth of commercial and military goods per year. The letter, also signed by Reps. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) and Carlos Giménez (R-Fla.), comes as others in Congress have taken up the issue. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), who chairs a new House committee focused on China, visited the port of Miami last week with Giménez, who introduced legislation last year to ban future U.S. purchases of Chinese cranes and encourage other manufacturers. (Fox Business 04/03/23) Congress seeks details on spying risks from Chinese cargo cranes | Fox Business 

Gulf Note: No specific ports were identified in this article as having Chinese cranes in use, but there are major maritime ports along the Gulf Coast, including New Orleans, Gulfport, Mobile and Houston.

Representative Mike Gallagher, a Republican from Wisconsin. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

In an interview after the visit on Friday, Mr. Gallagher said he felt Miami and other ports had mitigated near-term concerns by using alternate software. He said he was in particular concerned about the longer term, and said he believed that if ZPMC improved on their 70% global market share, they could effectively put others out of business, and ultimately force ports to deal exclusively with the company. 

"I left thinking this is a perfect microcosm of the challenge we face with China, which is to say, after decades of integrating ourselves economically, we now find ourselves with a dangerous dependency, and there’s no easy or overnight fix," he said.