Transportation

Panama to Occupy Canal Ports After Court Scraps CK Hutchison Deal

People work on a construction project at the Port of Balboa, managed by CK Hutchison Holdings, at the entrance to the Panama Canal in Panama City on Feb. 23.
Photographer: Martin Bernetti/AFP/Getty Images

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By Michael D McDonald and Filipe Pacheco

February 23, 2026 at 7:25 PM UTC

Updated on

February 24, 2026 at 10:17 AM UTC

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Panamanian President José Raul Mulino ordered the temporary occupation of two ports run by Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd. following a top court’s ruling against the firm’s concession, escalating a dispute that has become a proxy battle between the US and China in Latin America.