BlackRock Buys Panama Canal Ports for $23 Billion
BlackRock Buys Panama Canal Ports for $23 BillionBy: Charilogone Editorial Staff
BlackRock, which is worth $5 trillion, has reached a $23 billion deal to acquire the two ports of entry and exit of the Panama Canal. The acquisition marks a significant shift in control of this crucial international trade route.
The deal, announced by Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings, transfers control of the Balboa and Cristobal ports to a consortium led by BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners and Terminal Investment Limited. U.S. President Donald Trump has welcomed the acquisition, saying it strengthens U.S. national security by reducing Chinese influence over global infrastructure projects.
The consortium, made up of BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners and Terminal Investment Limited, will take control of CK Hutchison Holdings’ assets in 23 countries, including the Balboa and Cristobal ports in Panama. CK Hutchison Holdings has insisted the transaction is a private matter, but it comes amid growing U.S. pressure on Panama to reduce China’s economic influence.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino has rejected allegations that China controls the canal’s operations, but withdrew Panama from China’s Belt and Road Initiative after talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in February 2025. The Panama Canal, built by the Americans in the early 1900s, is a strategic waterway that connects the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.
President Trump has said his administration is working to “take back” the Panama Canal for the United States, a claim the Panamanian president quickly denied. BlackRock's acquisition of the Balboa and Cristobal ports is seen as a major step in that effort.
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