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ABB Robotics deal
Where things stand
China's foreign-investment security review authority has prohibited SoftBank's takeover of ABB's China robotics business, ABB said on Thursday. The roughly $5.4bn deal agreed in October 2025 is in doubt, though ABB says both sides are working constructively on it.
ABB, the Swiss-Swedish engineering group, agreed in October 2025 to sell its robotics unit to Japan's SoftBank for an enterprise value of about $5.4bn. The deal needs approval from regulators in several jurisdictions, including China's foreign-investment security review.
Timeline in detail
Friday, 6 November 2026 · TechnologyChina blocks SoftBank's takeover of ABB's robotics business in China
China's foreign-investment security review authority has banned SoftBank's acquisition of ABB's China robotics operations, ABB said on Thursday. The $5.4bn deal agreed last year is now in doubt.
Handelsblatt · Nikkei Asia · Financial Times