Maersk to Operate Panama Canal Ports After Chinese Firm’s Concession Canceled

Danish shipping giant Maersk will temporarily operate two key ports along the Panama Canal following the revocation of a concession held by Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison, the Panamanian Maritime Authority announced Friday.

The move follows a ruling by Panama’s Supreme Court, which annulled CK Hutchison’s contract after repeated warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump that the United States would seek to reclaim control over the strategic waterway, which he argued has effectively fallen under Chinese influence.

Maersk’s subsidiary, APM Terminals, will serve as interim operator for the Balboa and Cristóbal ports on the Pacific and Atlantic sides of the canal.

The Panama Canal handles roughly 40% of U.S. container traffic and 5% of global trade, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The administration of its ports is therefore a matter of economic and geopolitical significance, especially amid intensifying U.S.-China competition over influence in Latin America and global supply chains.

Since the 1990s, Chinese companies, led by CK Hutchison, have operated several of Panama’s major ports, raising U.S. concerns over commercial and strategic security. President Trump escalated this rhetoric, claiming that Beijing exercises effective control over the canal, even indirectly through private companies.

The Supreme Court’s decision reflects growing political pressure and a broader regional trend in Latin America to reassess foreign control of critical infrastructure. Analysts say the interim handover to Maersk signals both a shift toward Western management of key logistics hubs and a potential rebalancing of influence in global maritime trade.