The U.S. Coast Guard has issued an additional warning to U.S. ports about potential safety risks posed by Chinese-made container cranes.
The new MARSEC Directive 105-5 establishes additional cyber risk management requirements for ship-to-shore cranes of Chinese companies.
The directive follows a previous mandate for safety measures issued in February.
The new guidance states in part that “built-in vulnerabilities to remote access and control of these STS cranes, combined with intelligence regarding China’s interest in disrupting U.S. critical infrastructure, necessitate immediate action,” the Coast Guard said in a news release.
The agency said some cranes are equipped with control technology that allows China to remotely access ports, terminals and computer-based systems.
Chinese cranes are in use in approximately 80% of US ports. The main manufacturer is the state-owned Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., which operates 200 cranes at US container hubs.
The three-level MARSEC system is used to communicate potential security threats to maritime shipping.
President Joe Biden signed an executive order earlier this year directing billions of dollars in infrastructure funding for port upgrades to replace the cranes with ones made in America.
The directive requires port and terminal operators, crane owners and other parties involved in the installation, maintenance and support of STS cranes made in China to contact the Coast Guard District Commander or the Captain of the port to obtain a copy of the consent. -sensitive directive.
Find more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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