MSC is in the news over Panama port disputes, as legal battles threaten global shipping routes. It’s the world’s second-largest container line.
On February 12, 2026, Panama's Supreme Court upheld a January ruling declaring the concession held by Hong Kong's CK Hutchison subsidiary to operate the Panama Canal's Balboa and Cristóbal ports unconstitutional. The decision halts Chinese management of these strategic terminals, temporarily transferring operations to Denmark's A.P. Moller-Maersk amid ongoing legal disputes and geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China.
Panama's government has taken control of two ports at the Panama Canal's entrance after a Supreme Court ruling canceled CK Hutchison's operating contracts. The move follows legal and geopolitical tensions involving the US, China, and Panama, with the ports now under state management pending long-term arrangements. The raid was unrelated to the dispute over canal deals.