Despite threats from the U.S. to reassert control over the critical Panama Canal, Panama Canal Authority stated on the 25th, as reported by Agence France-Presse, that the canal will remain open to all parties interested in participating in the construction of two new ports. The authority revealed that Chinese companies have expressed interest in bidding.

In August of this year, multiple foreign media outlets reported that the Panama Canal Authority planned to sell the operating rights of two yet-to-be-built ports to introduce more operators. According to The Wall Street Journal citing the head of the Panama Canal Authority, Ricaurte Vásquez, the two ports are situated on either side of the Panama Canal, and the winning bidder will be responsible for constructing port facilities and will receive a 20-year operating right.

According to Agence France-Presse on the 26th, Ricaurte Vásquez, head of the Panama Canal Authority, stated, "We must open the bidding to all interested parties and seek the broadest possible competition for the construction of the new ports." He added that all bidders would compete on a fair basis. Companies reportedly interested in this project include Orient Overseas Container Line, COSCO Shipping Holdings Co., Ltd., and PSA International.

Earlier, the U.S. government claimed that China controlled the Panama Canal waterway and threatened to "take back" the canal. When asked if awarding the project to a Chinese company would exacerbate tensions with the United States, Vásquez stated that he did not want to speculate.

According to Agence France-Presse, the Panama Canal Authority has started meeting with interested parties to prepare for the bidding process. The authority plans to award contracts for these two ports by the end of 2026 and commence operations in 2029.

Reuters previously cited sources stating that the bidding process will commence in the first quarter of next year. The reports indicate that these two new ports are part of the expansion plan promoted by the Panama Canal Authority, aiming to enhance the ports' comprehensive service capabilities, including cargo transshipment, storage, along with the construction of a natural gas pipeline and ensuring freshwater supply facilities essential for operations. To achieve this, the Canal Authority plans to attract approximately $8.5 billion in investments over the next five years for infrastructure renovation and expansion.