Trump scores strategic win as Panama court ousts Hong Kong firm from canal ports

An aerial view of the port of Rodman in Panama City Jan.30, 2026. (Marin Bernetti/AFP via Getty Images)

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“President Trump, by extracting Nicolás Maduro and his wife from Caracas, ended Chinese influence in Venezuela,” Chang added.“With the termination of the Hutchison port concessions in Panama, countries are getting the message that Trump is determined to drive China out of the region and that they should get on board with the American president.”

Mulino said Friday that port operations at both ends of the canal will continue as the ruling is carried out, adding that Panama’s Maritime Authority will work with Panama Ports Company to keep theports running, the AP reported.

Once the concession is formally terminated, Mulino said, a local subsidiary of Danish shipping giant A.P.Moller-Maersk will temporarily operate the ports while the government opens a new bidding process for a long-term concession.

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TRUMP OUSTING OF MADURO DRAWS PARALLELS TO US RAID IN PANAMA – BUT THERE ARE SOME MAJOR CONTRASTS

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino waves before giving a speech at his swearing-in ceremony at the Atlapa Convention Centre in Panama City July 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Thecourt decisionfollowed an audit by Panama’s comptroller that identified irregularities in a 25-year extension of the concession granted in 2021, according to the AP.

The ruling aligns with long-standing U.S.concerns over China’s presence near the Panama Canal. 

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Limiting Beijing’s influence in the region has been a priority of the Trump administration, and Panama was the first overseas stop this year for U.S.Secretary of StateMarco Rubio, the AP reported.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio appears before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Jan.28, 2026.(J.Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)

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“TheUnited Statesis encouraged by the recent Panamanian Supreme Court’s decision to rule port concessions to China unconstitutional,” Rubio posted to X on Friday.

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Panama Ports Company said it has not been formally notified of the ruling and argued it lacks legal basis, warning it could harm thousands of Panamanian families and undermine legal certainty.The Hong Kong government also rejected the ruling, according to the AP.

Sophia was previously a business reporter covering finance, energy and tourism and has experience as a TV news producer.She graduated with a journalism degree in 2021 from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.