WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — A recent congressional report is warning about a potential national security risk at U.S. shipping ports after suspected Chinese-made communication technology was discovered.

Jamil Jaffer, founder and executive director of the National Security Institute, told “NewsNation Now” that rumors had been circulating about this for months, but the congressional report is “deeply concerning.”

“This report from the House Select Committee on China makes clear that these ZPMC cranes, a Chinese manufacturer, have communications back to China,” said Jaffer. “They’re gathering data that potentially could be used in a conflict or to disrupt the supply chain.”

House lawmakers say the equipment installed on the cranes was not documented in any contract between U.S. ports and ZPMC.

“They (China) control over 80% of the cranes in critical U.S. ports,” said Jaffer. “This is obviously deeply troubling. And you think about it, it’s not just the cranes themselves, but also all the logistics management, the ports as well. One has to wonder whether that software or the hardware itself may be compromised by the Chinese.”

ZPMC, which is listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, is one of the largest port machinery manufacturers in the world and owns a fleet of more than 20 transportation vessels, according to its website.

The Chinese government denies any national security threat.