BlackRock-Led Consortium Acquires Strategic Panama Canal Ports

The $22.8 billion deal transfers control of key ports from a Hong Kong conglomerate to American and Swiss investors.

BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, led a consortium to purchase a 90% stake in the Panama Ports Company from Hong Kong's CK Hutchison.
The deal includes the ports of Balboa and Cristobal, which are critical to the Panama Canal's operations and global trade routes.
The acquisition, valued at $22.8 billion, also grants the consortium control over 43 ports across 23 countries.
Donald Trump has praised the transaction, framing it as a step toward reducing Chinese influence over the canal's operations.
CK Hutchison and the Panamanian government have emphasized that the transaction is purely commercial and not politically motivated.