by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor

The Trump administration's latest move to revive domestic manufacturing has targeted Chinese cranes for loading and unloading containers from ships, despite the absence of a US industry for such equipment.

The US Trade Representative (USRT) has proposed up to 100% tariffs on Chinese ship-to-shore cranes, containers, and other parts.

According to a Bloomberg article, Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, highlighted that establishing a domestic industry for these cranes would take at least a decade.

Terminal operators might turn to European and Japanese manufacturers, but options outside China are limited.

Seroka emphasised the time required to train a workforce, invest in manufacturing facilities, and the rising costs of building materials like steel and aluminium, which are also subject to tariffs.

The American Association of Port Authorities has opposed the proposed taxes. Cary Davis, the association's president, warned that high tariffs on ship-to-shore cranes, without affordable alternatives, would act as a crippling tax on port development and threaten the nation's ability to expand cargo movement.

The USTR is set to hold a public hearing on the proposed actions on 19 May.

The proposal includes additional duties on containers, trailers, semi-trailers, and other non-mechanically propelled vehicles and parts, ranging from 20% to 100%.

In 2024, US ports strongly opposed the 25% tariff introduced during the Biden Administration targeting Chinese-made STS cranes.

This prompted the USTR to exempt ship-to-shore cranes ordered before 14 May 2024 and delivered by 14 May 2026 from the new tariff in September 2024.

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