American ports caught in the crosshairs of U.S.-China trade tensions are scrambling to rethink modernization plans as steep tariffs threaten to derail upgrades to critical cargo infrastructure, The Wall Street Journal writes.
The Trump administration’s 100% tariff on Chinese ship-to-shore cranes—now paused for just one year—has effectively frozen the market, industry executives say, pushing ports to stretch aging equipment rather than invest in new models that take years to procure.
Roughly 80% of U.S. port cranes are made in China, and operators warn that replacing them with alternatives—mainly from just three non-Chinese manufacturers—could add 15% or more to costs while still falling short of demand for about 20 new cranes annually.
Officials worry about national-security risks tied to dependence on Beijing’s maritime manufacturing dominance, yet industry groups argue uncertainty around shifting trade policy makes long-term investments nearly impossible. A push for domestic crane production is underway, but port leaders say that solution is years—and likely billions of dollars—away.
