The White House is investing $20 billion to replace about 200 Chinese-made cranes operating in U.S. ports over cybersecurity concerns.
The Biden administration has announced a number of measures aimed at strengthening the security of American ports: about 200 Chinese-made cranes that could be subject to hacker attacks are to be replaced.
The US government is investing more than $20 billion over the next five years to secure the country's ports, with the goal of, among other things, eliminating the use of Chinese-made cranes. According to the White House, there are more than 200 cranes manufactured in the People's Republic of China operating in American ports. This is actually the vast majority, almost 80% of cranes.
According to Admiral Jay Vann, who is part of the Coast Guard's Cyber Command, these particular cranes could be vulnerable to Chinese exploitation, especially because they can be controlled remotely.
We view the cyber threat to critical infrastructure as a nationwide approach
Biden's representative said that the new Center for Supply Chain Resilience, which was announced in November 2023, will be included in efforts to strengthen port security. In addition, $20 billion will be used to strengthen US port infrastructure as part of the Invest in America program.
The government is promising new port cranes because of concerns among U.S. officials about the risks of espionage and sabotage associated with the presence of a large number of cranes manufactured by Chinese state-owned giants in U.S. ports.
They will be replaced by cranes manufactured by the American subsidiary of the Japanese company Mitsui.
The United States is considering imposing sanctions on Chinese companiesthat have been assisting Russia in its war against Ukraine, which would be the first direct sanctions against Beijing.