The Panamanian government has decided to go hard and deprive the Panama Ports Company (PPC) of the CK Hutchison group Hong Kong Holdings from the management of national ports of Cristóbal and Balboa. Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, today signed an executive decree ordering 'temporary occupation, for reasons of urgent interest by the Panama Maritime Authority, of all movable property, including, but not limited to, cranes, vehicles of any kind, computers, programs, software and other property of any kind, which is located within or outside the facilities of the ports of Balboa and Cristóbal, that are necessary, as determined and required by the Authority Panama Maritime Ship, to maintain continuous operation and the safety of the ports of Balboa and Cristóbal".

Today's decree, which immediately came into force coincides with the publication in today's issue of the "Official Gazette" of the Republic of Panama ruling of the Supreme Court of Justice which declared the unconstitutionality of the law he granted to Panama Ports Company the management of the two ports ( of 30 January 2026). President Mulino explained that the government is preparing to start a transitional phase for the two ports and for their management, which will be carried out after Possible alternatives. The coordination of this phase was conferred on Alberto Alemán Zubieta, former administrator of the Canal Authority of Panama.

We recall that in recent days the government had demonstrated the intention to assign the transitional management of the two ports to the APM Terminals of the Danish shipowner group A.P. Møller-Mærsk, an announcement that had sparked protests from CK Hutchison Holdings which had threatened the Lodging an appeal ( of 2 and 12 February 2026).