Slow recovery for heavy lift market

The Port Houston Commission’s approval of investment in eight dockside electric container cranes, the largest order in its history, comes at a time when new tariffs on Chinese-made cranes are set to come into force.

Chinese ZPMC has signed a contract for a 1,500 t/hr bridge-type grab ship unloader with JFE Steel, marking its entry into the Japanese market.

The investment in two new STS cranes is part of the port’s plans to reach 1 million TEU capacity.

The Vizhinjam International Seaport in India recently welcomed its inaugural cargo ship, featuring equipment from ZPMC and automation systems from ABB.

One port operator claims the “pending tariff decision halted our procurement process”, while another says it has explored the possibility of cancelling crane contracts.

Latest ZPMC shipment includes portal cranes for handling bulk and general cargo, along with more ASCs for the container yard.