As part of a growing trend by US ports to reduce sourcing Ship to Shore (STS) cranes from China, the Port of Tacoma’s Washington United Terminals (WUT): “have signed an agreement with Hyundai Samho for the manufacturing of 4 new cranes,” according to the WUT website.
HD Hyundai Samho, a shipbuilding subsidiary of HD Hyundai, is now launching the Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation initiative, known as the MASGA (Make American Shipbuilding Great Again) project, through its entry into the U.S. port crane market.
WUT, a subsidiary of HMM, operates a container terminal spanning about 510,000 square meters (126 acres) at the Port of Tacoma and “currently runs eight quay cranes used to load and unload containers.”
It has been in service since 1999.
Under the new turnkey project, “HD Hyundai Samho will replace two aging quay cranes (i.e. STS cranes) and install two new yard cranes by 2028. Quay cranes move containers between vessels and the shore, while yard cranes load cargo on vehicles in a yard.”
HD Hyundai Samho, as a supplier, “will cover design, manufacturing, transportation, installation and commissioning of the cranes.”
“The equipment modernization at WUT will allow us to provide efficient logistics services to our shippers,” an HMM representative said: “Alongside our fleet expansion, we will continue to invest in port infrastructure to support our operational capabilities.”
The move reflects the growing trends at U.S. ports to move away from sourcing STS cranes built in China that had been targeted as a security concern by both the Biden and Trump administrations.
TraPac commissions new Liebherr STS cranes
This trend was recently reflected at the Port of Oakland. Port of Oakland terminal operator TraPac hosted a commissioning ceremony on July 7th, 2026, for two ship-to-shore cranes manufactured by crane maker Liebherr at its Ireland facility and assembled at the Port by longshore workers represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) coordinated by Pacific Crane Maintenance Company (PCMC).
In his opening remarks, Cameron Thorpe, CEO, TraPac, said: “These are the first ship-to-shore cranes to be fully assembled in the U.S in a generation … Today we take the first steps by placing the first two of these cranes into service, but we're not finished there. Two additional cranes are currently under construction behind us. And will join the Oakland fleet later this year…”
US Korean collaboration
The Port of Tacoma project expands the scope of the Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation initiative — Make American Shipbuilding Great Again, which is also known as MASGA — HD Hyundai Samho said.
Previously, HD Hyundai Chairman Chung Ki-sun introduced HD Hyundai Samho's crane manufacturing capabilities when he met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer last year.
“Winning the Port of Tacoma crane contract is a meaningful achievement that demonstrates external recognition of the technological expertise and quality competitiveness we have built through a wide range of projects at home and abroad,” an HD Hyundai Samho representative said.
“We will support the MASGA project by developing environmentally friendly and high-efficiency port equipment.”
Port of Busan began sourcing Korean cranes in 2023
In 2023, the South Korean Busan Port Authority (BPA) announced that it was completing construction of a new automated container terminal with cranes built in Korea by Hyundai.
In March of 2023, E. H. Lee, Director of Marketing and International Affairs at BPA, told AJOT that the new automated container terminal will be developed in two phases. The first phase will be opened in 2023. In four years, the second part of the terminal will be opened: “This will be the first terminal at the Port of Busan that will be fully automated. The terminal will use remotely controlled ship to shore cranes. It will also utilize fully automated guided vehicles or AGVs.”
A major feature will be the Korean-built ship to shore cranes: “We stopped producing gantry cranes (i.e. STS cranes) in Korea 20-30 years ago. So, in most cases, either Japanese or Chinese container cranes were being used. Now for the first time, Korean gantry cranes will be installed.”
Lee identified Hyundai as the crane builder.
He said: “The manufacturing infrastructure for the container cranes needs a long-term contract. Because it requires a lot of fixed costs to develop the manufacturing of that magnitude. We needed a long-term commitment for the manufacturing company … So, in the next … phase, we will keep ordering cranes from the Korean manufacturing company. And this will require support for after sales service and maintenance.”
Lee noted that concerns about security from foreign built cranes have been raised and noted that building the cranes in Korea is “good news” because: “The BPA would like to invigorate the Korean manufacturing base that has been moving to China. And we would like to slow down the manufacturing shift. Nowadays, we have made a good move because of the concerns about surveillance issues from other cranes. This has added more momentum for our move to source from Korean manufacturing. I think this may be a very smart decision.”
