Panama Ports Company (PPC), the Panama-based unit of Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison, has initiated arbitration proceedings against Maersk following the takeover of two strategically important port terminals linked to the Panama Canal. The dispute adds a new legal layer to the broader controversy surrounding the future control of port assets at both ends of the Canal.

According to PPC, Maersk violated a long-term agreement by aligning itself with the Panamanian government in efforts that led to PPC’s removal from operations at the Balboa terminal and its replacement by a Maersk-affiliated operator. PPC argued that this conduct undermined the contract and formed part of a broader state-led campaign against the company.

The legal conflict follows a Panama Supreme Court ruling in late January 2026 that invalidated the legal framework supporting the 1997 concession under which PPC operated the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals, located on the Pacific and Atlantic sides of the Canal, respectively. By the following month, the Panamanian government had granted temporary operating contracts to subsidiaries of Maersk and MSC to manage those terminals.

The dispute has also complicated CK Hutchison’s proposed $23 billion sale of a majority stake in its global ports business to a consortium led by BlackRock and MSC. The article notes that the broader controversy has unfolded amid geopolitical tension, including pressure from the Trump administration over what it described as Chinese influence around the Canal, while Beijing has criticized such actions as unfair and politically motivated.

PPC said the arbitration will take place in London and emphasized that its claim against Maersk is separate from its ongoing efforts to pursue accountability from the Panamanian state for what it described as anti-contractual and anti-investment actions. At the time of publication, neither Maersk nor the Panamanian government had publicly responded to requests for comment.