House Panels Ask ABB to Testify About Work With Chinese Crane Maker

The House Homeland Security Committee and the House Select Committee on China have asked a U.S. executive from Europe-based ABB to testify about how the firm secures the software and hardware it provides for ship-to-shore cranes built by China’s Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Company Limited (ZPMC).

In a letter that the Select Committee publicly released on Jan. 18, the committees wrote that ZPMC accounts for nearly 80% of the ship-to-shore cranes at U.S. maritime ports, and they are concerned that such cranes could be outfitted to conduct espionage. After engaging with ABB for several months, the committees said they asked the company in October to consider having its equipment installed onto the ZPMC cranes after the cranes are shipped to the U.S., rather than having ZPMC install the equipment onto the cranes in China.

“Allowing ZPMC to install ABB equipment and technology in China onto cranes bound for the United States is unacceptable and must be remedied without any further delay,” the letter says.

In a statement, ABB said “we are reviewing the letter and intend to provide a response as appropriate. We take the committees’ request seriously.”

The American Association of Port Authorities said in March that there have been no known security breaches from Chinese-made cranes at U.S. ports (see 2303080078). The association made its statement after the Wall Street Journal reported that some U.S. officials were concerned the Chinese government could use ZPMC cranes to spy or disrupt the flow of goods.