Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings Limited announced on May 22, 2025, that MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, owned by the Aponte family, is the primary investor in a consortium acquiring 43 of its global port assets for $22.8 billion.
The announcement was made by Co-Managing Director Dominic Lai during the company’s annual general meeting in Hong Kong.
The deal, which includes two ports along the Panama Canal, is under scrutiny amid U.S.-China trade tensions and requires regulatory approvals from multiple jurisdictions, including the United States, the European Union, and China.
The consortium, which also includes U.S. investment firm BlackRock and its subsidiary Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), aims to acquire an 80% stake in Hutchison Port Holdings, with an implied equity value of $14.2 billion.
CK Hutchison expects to receive over $19 billion in cash upon completion.
The transaction, announced on March 4, 2025, has faced delays, missing a target to sign a definitive agreement by April 2, 2025, due to regulatory reviews and an ongoing audit in Panama.
China’s antitrust regulator has emphasized the need for compliance, stating on April 27, 2025, that parties should not attempt to bypass its review process.
Panama’s Comptroller General has raised concerns, alleging that CK Hutchison’s subsidiary, Panama Ports Company, failed to pay $1.3 billion owed under a 25-year concession for the Balboa and Cristobal ports. An audit, initiated in January 2025, claims the company generated $3.78 billion from these terminals between 1997 and 2023, while Panama received only $236 million. CK Hutchison disputes these claims, asserting it invested $1.695 billion, exceeding contractual obligations. Panama’s government is preparing to sue officials who renewed the concession in 2021, potentially complicating the deal.
The sale has drawn attention due to the strategic importance of the Panama Canal ports, with U.S. President Donald Trump citing the deal as a move to reduce China’s influence in the region.
China’s foreign ministry, via Xinhua on April 28, 2025, urged all parties to “act prudently.”
CK Hutchison Holdings Limited, based in Hong Kong, is a multinational conglomerate founded by Li Ka-shing. It operates in ports, retail, infrastructure, energy, and telecommunications across over 50 countries. Its ports division, Hutchison Port Holdings, manages 43 ports in 23 countries, with an 80% stake held by CK Hutchison and 20% by PSA International.
MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, is a family-owned business led by Italian billionaire Gianluigi Aponte. It is the world’s largest container shipping line, operating over 600 vessels. Through its subsidiary, Terminal Investment Limited (TiL), MSC manages port operations globally.