![\"panama](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.marineinsight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/panama-port.jpg?resize=1200%2C628\")
Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd. has warned A.P. Moller-Maersk A\/S that it may pursue legal action if Maersk\u2019s terminal subsidiary proceeds with operating two Panama Canal ports without its agreement.<\/p>\n
The move follows a ruling by Panama Supreme Court that invalidated CK Hutchison\u2019s contract to operate the ports of Balboa and Cristobal.<\/p>\n
Panamanian authorities have asked APM Terminals, part of Maersk, to take over operations of the two terminals on an interim basis.<\/p>\n
CK Hutchison said it had formally notified Maersk that any assumption of operations without its consent would cause damage to the group and could lead to legal recourse against APM Terminals.<\/p>\n
The company stated on 12 February that it had also notified the Panamanian government of a dispute under an investment protection treaty in order to safeguard its rights and interests.<\/p>\n
It said it had invited consultations to resolve the matter and was seeking extensive damages through arbitration in response to Panama\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for Maersk declined to comment on the warning and referred to the company\u2019s previous statement issued on 30 January.<\/p>\n
In that earlier statement, Maersk said it would follow all legal requirements and procedures in starting operations.<\/p>\n
APM Terminals informed the Associated Press that it was not a party to the legal proceedings concerning the port contract.<\/p>\n
The terminal operator said it had expressed interest to the Panamanian government in operating the ports temporarily to mitigate risks that could affect essential regional and global trade services.<\/p>\n
The dispute relates to the Port of Balboa on the Pacific coast and Cristobal on the Atlantic side, both located at the entrances of the Panama Canal.<\/p>\n
CK Hutchison\u2019s subsidiary, Panama Ports Co., has operated the two facilities since 1997. In 2021, the company received a 25-year renewal of its contract.<\/p>\n
In late January, Panama\u2019s Supreme Court ruled that the contract granted to the subsidiary was unconstitutional.<\/p>\n
The court ordered that before a new contract could be bid and awarded, the Danish group would take charge of the ports in the interim.<\/p>\n
In 2025, US President Donald Trump alleged that China was running the Panama Canal. CK Hutchison had been negotiating a deal valued at $23 billion to sell its non-Chinese port subsidiaries to a consortium that included US investment firm BlackRock, but the transaction was stalled after Beijing intervened.<\/p>\n
The Panama Canal links the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and handles roughly 40% of Washington\u2019s container traffic each year. The waterway was built by the United States in the early 20th century and was transferred to Panamanian control in 1999.<\/p>\n
Panamanian President Jos\u00e9 Ra\u00fal Mulino previously indicated that operations at the two ports would continue without interruption following the Supreme Court\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n
CK Hutchison stated that the continued operation of the ports now depends on actions taken by the Supreme Court and the Panamanian state, which it said are beyond its control.<\/p>\n