The principal investor in a group looking to purchase 43 ports from the Hong Kong company is the family-run MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, owned by Italian billionaire Gianluigi Aponte, according to CK Hutchison.
At a time when trade tensions between the United States and China are rising, the sale of assets, which would include two ports along the strategically significant Panama Canal, has become extremely politicized. China’s top market watchdog stated in April that it was closely monitoring CK Hutchison’s proposed sale and advised the parties involved not to attempt to evade an antitrust investigation. Tycoon Li Ka-shing’s company, CK Hutchison, declared this month that the agreement would closely follow all necessary regulatory requirements.
