Panama’s Supreme Court on Thursday blocked a Hong Kong-based company from operating ports on the Panama Canal, giving the Trump administration a victory in its bid to divest the critical waterway of Chinese influence. 

The ruling revolves around CK Hutchison Holding, the Hong Kong firm that has operated two of the canals’ five ports since the 1990s through its subsidiary, Panama Ports Company. ​​The Panamanian government accused CK Hutchison of breaching its concession contracts, including one renewed in 2021. The lawsuit stemmed from an audit brought by Panama’s comptroller that determined the company’s management of the contracts shortchanged the country by around $1.3 billion.