Panama has taken control of key container terminals from CK Hutchison after its contracts were ruled unconstitutional, and is preparing to rebid the concessions for the strategic ports of Balboa and Cristobal near the Panama Canal.
While major global operators—including APM Terminals, DP World, Mediterranean Shipping Company, PSA International, and International Container Terminal Services Inc.—are expected to bid, US firms may face disadvantages due to evaluation criteria that reportedly favor other competitors, reports FreightWaves.
The move comes amid growing geopolitical and economic interest in the canal, a vital global trade route, as well as similar competitive tensions in other port projects like Brazil’s Port of Santos.
