LatinNews Daily - 21 July 2026

*Panama’s foreign ministry has announced that from 16-17 July, Panamanian and Chinese delegations held negotiations in Beijing regarding the renewal of a maritime agreement signed in 2017, with both sides to “proceed” with the process of renewing it. The announcement comes as bilateral tensions remain high following a January 2026 ruling by Panama’s supreme court (CSJ) which struck down a concession for two ports on the Panama Canal that had been awarded to Panama Ports Company (PPC), a subsidiary of Hong Kong-headquartered CK Hutchison Holdings. Since then, China has announced arbitration proceedings against Panama while Panama has complained that the number of Panama-flagged vessels detained by China has significantly increased since the ruling.