CK Hutchinson sells Panama Canal ports under U.S. pressure

Under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, the Chinese company CK Hutchinson decided to sell a majority stake in two ports along the Panama Canal to the American investment firm BlackRock. This information was reported by Bloomberg. This transaction is part of a larger sale involving 43 ports in 23 countries, excluding facilities in mainland China and Hong Kong.

The sale of shares by CK Hutchinson was seen as an opportunity to profit amid global geopolitical tensions and trade barriers that weakened the prospects of port operations. Senior economist at investment bank Natixis SA, Gary Ng, assessed it as a "is a perfect example of turning geopolitical risks into opportunities." After the transaction, the company's shares rose by 25%, adding nearly $5 billion CAD to its market value.

Vincent Lam, chief investment officer at consultancy firm VL Asset Management, noted that CK Hutchinson was caught between China and the USA, making it difficult to appease both sides. On the other hand, Frank Sixta from CK Hutchison declared that this decision "is purely commercial in nature and wholly unrelated to recent political news reports concerning the Panama Ports."

"The New York Times" noted that the acquisition of stakes in the ports by BlackRock exemplifies Trump's foreign policy under the banner "America First." Historian Prof. Peter James Hudson from the University of British Columbia posed the rhetorical question: "Where is Panama's voice in this matter?" suggesting that Panama is lost in Trump's political efforts.

Panama's president, Jose Raul Mulino, seems to downplay the geopolitical significance of this matter, describing it on social media as a global transaction between private companies.