Rising concerns over Chinese 'spy cranes' in Seattle, Tacoma ports

Rising concerns over Chinese 'spy cranes' in Seattle, Tacoma

After rising concerns that Chinese-made cranes being imported into the U.S. could pose a security risk, the Port of Seattle and Tacoma does not plan on replacing any cranes any time soon.

SEATTLE - After rising concerns that Chinese-made cranes being imported into the U.S. could pose a security risk, the Port of Seattle and Tacoma does not plan on replacing any cranes any time soon.

This comes as President Biden announced the U.S. is investing $20 billion in port security and crane manufacturing, as most cranes shipped from China could pose a national security risk.

The Northwest Seaport Alliance released the following statement after the Biden Administration's announcement:

"Marine terminals in The Northwest Seaport Alliance gateway (includes Port of Tacoma and Port of Seattle) operate ZPMC cranes, as there are currently no American-made super post-panamax cranes available on the market. In the past few days, there have been several documents published relating to the new Biden Administration program and potential requirements for U.S. ports.
The NWSA currently has strong cybersecurity procedures in place, and we are evaluating new requirements against our existing security measures at our marine terminals. The published requirements at this time do not suggest we will have to replace any of our operating cranes. We recognize guidelines are still emerging on this topic from the Biden Administration and subsequent maritime security organizations and we are tracking this matter closely."