CK Hutchison Holdings Group, based in Hong Kong (China), has filed a lawsuit against the arbitrator to protest the Panamanian court's ruling to invalidate the operating rights of 2 ports in the Panama Canal, with the possibility of taking effect in early February.
The Hong Kong (China) corporation led by billionaire Li Ka-shing's family informed on February 3 that the corporation does not agree with the decision of the Panamanian Supreme Court. The corporation's subsidiary - Panama Port Corporation (PPC) - has taken legal action to protest this decision.
On February 3, 2026, PPC began and will strongly pursue arbitration procedures against the Republic of Panama under the applicable franchise agreement and the Arbitration Rules of the International Chamber of Commerce.
The Group continues to consult lawyers and reserve all rights, including the use of additional national and international legal procedures in this matter" - a statement from CK Hutchison Holdings stated.
This development occurred a day after the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of Beijing commented that the court's ruling on invalidating China's operating rights of 2 ports in the Panama Canal has undermined Panama's credit reputation and will cause deep damage to the country's business environment, while seriously weakening international trade rules.
The Panamanian government's insistence on upholding the ruling despite widespread concerns is no different from shooting itself in the foot" - a comment posted on the WeChat account of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of China said.
