Overview
- President José Raúl Mulino said he received a high-level message from Beijing acknowledging the port fight will proceed in international arbitration and not as a quarrel between governments.
- The United States, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago issued a joint statement Tuesday backing Panama and calling China’s actions against Panama‑flagged vessels a bid to politicize maritime trade.
- U.S. regulators reported nearly 70 Panama‑flagged ships were detained or subjected to intensified inspections in China in March, while China rejected the charge and said checks were routine and the allegations were unfounded.
- Panama’s Supreme Court in January annulled CK Hutchison’s 1997 concession for the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals, after which Panama installed temporary operators from Maersk and MSC, CK Hutchison launched a $2+ billion arbitration, and COSCO curtailed calls at Balboa.
- Mulino defended the takeover as filling a contract void and said he seeks no escalation, as governments and regulators watch for shipping delays and wider trade effects tied to the canal, which carries about 5% of global maritime commerce.