CK Hutchison Holdings Limited, through its board of directors, confirmed that the exclusive negotiation period with a consortium regarding the sale of Hutchison Ports Group has expired.
The Group remains in discussions with members of the consortium “with a view to inviting major strategic investor from the PRC to join as a significant member of the consortium.”
Changes to consortium membership and transaction structure are required to obtain approval from all relevant authorities.
The Group stated that it “will not proceed with any transaction that does not have the approval of all relevant authorities.”
In prior coverage dating back to March 2025, CK Hutchison had reached an in‑principle agreement to sell its global ports business—including a 90% stake in Panama Ports Company and an 80% interest in 43 ports across 23 countries—for US $22.8 billion in enterprise value (about US $19 billion in net proceeds) to a consortium led by BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners and Terminal Investment Limited, a subsidiary of the Mediterranean Shipping Company. The transaction has been under scrutiny by Chinese antitrust regulators amid geopolitical tensions and national interest concerns, particularly over two strategically sensitive Panama Canal ports. Sources also report that China COSCO Shipping Corp is reportedly exploring joining the consortium to help secure regulatory approval.
CK Hutchison Holdings Limited CK Hutchison is a Cayman‑Islands incorporated, Hong Kong‑listed conglomerate with diversified investments across ports, telecommunications, retail, infrastructure and energy. It holds a controlling interest in Hutchison Port Holdings through which it operates container terminals in multiple continents. The company is ultimately controlled by the Li family and has historically managed ports including those in Panama since 1997.
Hutchison Port Holdings Group is a port operator affiliated with CK Hutchison, responsible for operating around 43 terminals in 23 countries, including major facilities at both ends of the Panama Canal (Balboa and Cristóbal). It is one of the world’s largest port operators by throughput and excludes assets within mainland China or Hong Kong in the current transaction.