The United States and five Latin American nations have condemned China for detaining dozens of Panama-flagged vessels in what they described as retaliation over a port lease dispute, reports Fort Lauderdale's Maritime Executive.

Last year, Panama reviewed CK Hutchison's contracts at Balboa and Cristobal after pressure from Washington regarding Chinese influence in the canal zone. In February, Panama's Supreme Court ruled the leases unconstitutional, resulting in Hutchison's ejection from the ports. The company has since filed for $2 billion in arbitration compensation.

China reacted angrily, with the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office calling the ruling 'shameful and pathetic' and warning of 'heavy prices.' In March, Chinese port state control officers detained about 70 Panama-flagged ships for alleged violations, which accounted for three-quarters of all detentions in China that month.

The six signatories—Costa Rica, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, Paraguay, and Bolivia—accused Beijing of applying targeted economic pressure on Panama by using inspections as a punitive tool.

'These actions—following the decision of Panama's independent Supreme Court regarding the Balboa and Cristobal terminals—are a blatant attempt to politicize maritime trade and infringe on the sovereignty of the nations of our hemisphere,' the joint statement said.

The governments warned that they would monitor the situation closely and expressed solidarity with Panama, describing the country as a pillar of the global maritime trading system that must remain free from external pressure.