China has prohibited SoftBank Group's acquisition of ABB Robotics' business in China, ABB said on 5 November 2026, dealing a setback to the Japanese group's US$5.375bn purchase of the Swiss engineering company's robotics division.
Why SoftBank Group Corp. is buying ABB Robotics (ABB's robotics division)
ABB agreed in October 2025 to sell its Robotics division to SoftBank for an enterprise value of US$5.375bn, dropping its earlier plan to spin the unit off as a separately listed company.
Deal terms and financing
ABB said SoftBank informed it that the Office of the Working Mechanism for Foreign Investment Security Review in China had prohibited the acquisition of the ABB Robotics business in China. ABB said the process to obtain regulatory approvals is managed by SoftBank and that the two companies are in close dialogue and working constructively on the transaction. It did not say the overall deal had been terminated. SoftBank disclosed on 6 November that it had been notified of the decision on 4 November.
Regulatory approvals and timing
The deal required approvals including in the EU, China and the US and had been expected to close in mid-to-late 2026; it had not closed by early November 2026. The Financial Times, which first reported the decision, said SoftBank was told by China's National Development and Reform Commission. Officials gave no public reasons.
Market context
China is ABB's largest robotics market, and about 90% of machines for Chinese customers are built in China, where ABB has a robot factory in Shanghai, the New York Times reported. ABB Robotics has manufacturing hubs in China, the US and Sweden.
