LEGISLATION that could shut down a port's container operations for an alleged security risk is misleading and misguided, protests the American Association of Port Authorities (PA), reports New York's FreightWaves.
The Port Crane Security and Inspection Act of 2023, introduced by Florida Republican Congressman Carlos Gimenez and California Congressman John Garamendi, would require federal authorities to inspect cranes and the software used to operate them if they were manufactured in countries considered adversaries of the us - namely China - as potential security threats before they could operate.
Mr Gimenez pointed out that 80 per cent of the port cranes operating in the US are made in China.
'This reliance on foreign cranes allows the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] to illicitly capture information about materials being shipped in and out of the country and could lead to severe disruptions in critical infrastructure centres,' he said.
The legislation, he said, 'guarantees that America's ports are protected from cybersecurity attacks and potential security breaches by malign actors.'
The bill is almost identical to legislation Mr Gimenez introduced in 2022 but adds a provision that the US Department of Homeland Security 'take any crane that poses a security risk or threat offline until such crane can be certified as no longer being a risk or threat.'
But PA president Chris Connor contends that there is zero evidence to support 'sensationalised' claims that the equipment is not secure. 'That's misleading at best,' Mr Connor said.
'The cranes our ports procure, based on cost, use separate software purchased from allied countries like Japan and Sweden, and they undergo rigorous security inspections with federal government partners to safeguard against cyber threats.
'What our ports are more concerned with and what DC lawmakers should be asking is: Why can't we produce this hardware here in the United States?' he said.
SeaNews Turkey
The Port Crane Security and Inspection Act of 2023, introduced by Florida Republican Congressman Carlos Gimenez and California Congressman John Garamendi, would require federal authorities to inspect cranes and the software used to operate them if they were manufactured in countries considered adversaries of the us - namely China - as potential security threats before they could operate.
Mr Gimenez pointed out that 80 per cent of the port cranes operating in the US are made in China.
'This reliance on foreign cranes allows the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] to illicitly capture information about materials being shipped in and out of the country and could lead to severe disruptions in critical infrastructure centres,' he said.
The legislation, he said, 'guarantees that America's ports are protected from cybersecurity attacks and potential security breaches by malign actors.'
The bill is almost identical to legislation Mr Gimenez introduced in 2022 but adds a provision that the US Department of Homeland Security 'take any crane that poses a security risk or threat offline until such crane can be certified as no longer being a risk or threat.'
But PA president Chris Connor contends that there is zero evidence to support 'sensationalised' claims that the equipment is not secure. 'That's misleading at best,' Mr Connor said.
'The cranes our ports procure, based on cost, use separate software purchased from allied countries like Japan and Sweden, and they undergo rigorous security inspections with federal government partners to safeguard against cyber threats.
'What our ports are more concerned with and what DC lawmakers should be asking is: Why can't we produce this hardware here in the United States?' he said.
SeaNews Turkey
