Panama on Tuesday took control of operations in its ports in Balboa and Cristobal, ousting Hong Kong group CK Hutchison amid a wider dispute between the US and China over who runs the Panama Canal. CK….
Panama on Tuesday took control of operations in its ports in Balboa and Cristobal, ousting Hong Kong group CK Hutchison amid a wider dispute between the US and China over who runs the Panama Canal.
Panamanian authorities have taken control of two ports on the Panama Canal from CK Hutchison after the Hong Kong-based conglomerate's concession was annulled amid a row between the United States and China.
CK Hutchison objected Tuesday to the takeover, which it called "unlawful" and said raises "serious risks to the operations, health and safety at terminals".
In January, the country's supreme court declared as "unconstitutional" the contract which had allowed Hutchison's subsidiary Panama Ports Company (PPC) to manage the ports of Balboa on the Pacific and Cristobal on the Atlantic since 1997.
"The Panama Maritime Authority has taken possession of its ports and guarantees the continuity of operations," an official said Monday after the Panamanian Supreme Court annulled Hutchison's contracts to operate the ports.
The court ruling was the latest legal move to ripple through the interoceanic waterway, which handles about 40 percent of US container traffic and five percent of world trade.
The Central American country has been swept up in broader tensions between Washington and Beijing, with US President Donald Trump claiming, without providing evidence, last year that China effectively runs the canal.
Panama has always denied Chinese control over the 80-kilometer (50-mile) waterway, which is used mainly by the United States and China.
Hutchison had asked the Panamanian government to enter into negotiations to allow it to continue operating the two terminals – to no avail.
Publication of the court ruling in the official gazette Monday effectively ended the legal process.
"This does not imply the expropriation of those assets, but rather their use to guarantee the operation of the ports until their real value is determined for the corresponding actions," said Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino.
Ports director Max Florez said an 18-month transition period now begins, with the ports being operated by two other companies before contracts are awarded under a new international tender.
The importance of the report depends on confirmed records, named authorities and any follow-up statements that clarify the scale, timing and public impact of the development.
The next useful information will be the most direct record available: an official notice, a named statement, an updated dataset, a court filing, a regulator note or a corrected public advisory.
The source page records the update at 23 Feb 2026, 11:27 PM, and the story should be followed for any later corrections or clarifications.
