Li Ka-shing keeps $28.9b ask for ports despite Panama loss

Hong Kong business magnate Li Ka-shing’s CK Hutchison Holdings expects to sell what remains of its global ports portfolio for its original US$22.8 billion (S$28.9 billion) value, even after losing two Panama terminals that had been included, according to people familiar with the matter. 

The proposed sale of 43 global ports, to a buyer consortium that includes US investment firm BlackRock, was expected to net CK Hutchison more than US$19 billion in cash when it was first announced in March 2025.

That expectation has not changed, even with the Panama Canal facilities excluded from the package, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing private deliberations.  

The talks are ongoing and final details including pricing could still change, given the complexity of the deal, they added. 

Earlier in 2026, Panama invalidated CK Hutchison’s contract to operate the ports, following pressure from US President Donald Trump. The Hong Kong conglomerate and its unit Panama Ports have since launched separate international arbitration claims against the decision, seeking damages of at least US$3.5 billion.

Any compensation from those cases is expected to be shared between CK Hutchison and the buyers, one of the people said. 

The Panama facilities had accounted for only about 4 per cent of the portfolio’s original price. The price of the remaining 41 ports is seen to have risen enough to offset their loss, one of the people said, because buyers see them as logistical assets generating stable income in a time of increasing geopolitical conflict. 

Company representatives, bankers and lawyers are still meeting weekly to negotiate over deal terms, the people familiar said. The sale has become a lightning rod in the US-China rivalry, and tensions have been especially high over the Panama terminals, with Washington vowing to protect its Latin American interests as Beijing expands its influence in the region.

Hopes for a political breakthrough have been renewed as Chinese leader Xi Jinping plans to meet Trump during his September trip to the US, though the parties remain cautious, given that a similar high-level May meeting between the two failed to yield results, according to the people.

A spokesperson for BlackRock declined to comment. CK Hutchison and members of the buyer consortium including China Cosco Shipping, China Merchants Bank and Italian billionaire Gianluigi Aponte’s MSC Mediterranean Shipping did not respond to requests for comment. 

Mired down

The deal hit roadblocks soon after it was announced, with CK Hutchison drawing Beijing’s ire for agreeing to sell ports in strategic global locations to a consortium backed by BlackRock. To gain China’s approval, the group invited state-owned companies to join the buyers, including Cosco. 

The discussions have remained mired down as the parties seek to navigate regulatory hurdles across the countries where the ports are located – and reconcile competing demands from prospective buyers. 

Discussions have focused on a proposal to split the ports into different ownership structures, Bloomberg has reported. That could give the Chinese buyers bigger stakes and greater control in some locations, while other consortium members take the lead elsewhere.

Panama’s forced takeover of the two terminals added to uncertainty around the deal, with Beijing warning that the country could pay a “heavy price” for the move. Parties involved in the sale are likely to seek positive signals from both China and the US before settling the transaction’s final terms, Bloomberg has reported. 

There are signs, however, that tensions between Beijing and Panama may be easing. They are moving towards renewing an agreement that gives Panama-flagged vessels favourable treatment at Chinese ports, local media reported in August, citing China’s ambassador to the country. BLOOMBERG