Panama Ports Company, a CK Hutchison subsidiary, has held contracts since the 1990s to operate container terminals at the canal's Pacific and Atlantic entrances, separate from the waterway's operations. CK Hutchison did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters on the court's decision. CK Hutchison had been waiting for the Supreme Court to ⁠make a final ruling about the legal status of its contracts after the local attorney general determined the contracts "unconstitutional". In ‌July, Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino said public-private partnerships could take over the two ports if the court invalidated the contracts with CK Hutchison. Analysts have flagged the likelihood Panama Ports will lodge an arbitration complaint after losing the ⁠case.