Panama’s Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the concession held by a Chinese company’s subsidiary was unconstitutional. However, Panama’s president José Raúl Mulino said ports at both ends of the Panama Canal would operate as usual. Maritime officials will work with Panama Ports Company (PPC), a subsidiary of Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison, until the court’s ruling is enforced. After the concession formally ends, a subsidiary of Danish firm AP Moller-Maersk will run the ports temporarily until a new deal is made. Mulino said in a video, “Panama moves forward, its ports will continue operating without interruption and we will continue serving the world as the logistics centre of excellence that we are.” The court’s decision came after a Panama comptroller’s audit found irregularities in a 25-year extension of the deal granted in 2021. The US has pushed to limit China’s influence over the strategic waterway. Former US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it a national security issue, and Donald Trump urged that Panama return control of the canal to the US. PPC said it was not notified about the ruling and called it “lacking legal basis,” warning it risks thousands of Panamanian jobs and the rule of law. PPC said it would seek legal action. The Hong Kong government condemned the decision, warning against foreign interference harming Hong Kong companies. It advised its firms to carefully review their Panama investments. China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said China would "take all necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese company," without naming specific actions.