DredgeWire23 Jul 2026Clients
Automatically composed with AI from the cited sources
Nearly 500 Panama-flagged vessels were detained for inspection in China in 2026, a figure that acting Foreign Minister Carlos Hoyos said has since returned “to the historical level” following negotiations in Beijing. The two countries agreed to renew a maritime shipping treaty that offers preferential tariffs and easier bureaucratic procedures for Panamanian ships in Chinese ports, with a consensus reached last week that will move the renewal procedures forward. The tighter controls had followed a Panamanian court ruling cancelling the contract of Panama Ports Company, a CK Hutchison subsidiary, which operated two terminals in the canal overseen by a Panamanian institution autonomous from the government.