SoftBank’s proposed $5.4B acquisition of ABB Robotics blocked by China

China's Office of the Working Mechanism for Foreign Investment Security Review prohibits the acquisition

ABB

SoftBank’s proposed $5.4B acquisition of ABB Robotics blocked by China

Marc Segura (via LinkedIn)

(L-R): Marc Segura, president of ABB Robotics, Masayoshi Son, chairman & CEO of SoftBank Group, and Morten Wierod, CEO of ABB. ABB announced the divestment of its Robotics division to SoftBank for $5+ billion in October 2025, but the move has been blocked by China in November 2026.

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China, through the Office of the Working Mechanism for Foreign Investment Security Review, has blocked SoftBank Group's planned $5.4 billion acquisition of ABB's Robotics division.

The announcement, first reported by The Financial Times, stems from reported concerns from the Chinese government regarding foreign technology investment and implementation in the country.

ABB, SoftBank are working to resolve the transaction

The Financial Times reported that SoftBank was informed by China’s National Development and Reform Commission that the deal would be blocked.

ABB Group announced its intentions to divest its Robotics division to SoftBank Group for $5.375B in October 2025. At the time of that announcement, the companies said “the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and further customary closing conditions and is expected to close in mid-to-late 2026.”

As of early November 2026, the acquisition has not been finalized.

ABB Group released the following statement regarding the news:

“In October 2025, ABB announced that it had signed an agreement to divest its Robotics division to SoftBank Group Corp. (SoftBank) for an enterprise value of $5.375 billion.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. The process to obtain the regulatory approvals is managed by SoftBank. ABB confirms that it has been informed by SoftBank that the Office of the Working Mechanism for Foreign Investment Security Review in China has prohibited the acquisition of the ABB Robotics business in China. ABB and SoftBank are in close dialogue and are working constructively on the transaction.”

ABB and SoftBank both declined to comment further on the news.

The New York Times reported that China is ABB’s largest robotics market and roughly 90% of its machines built for Chinese customers are manufactured within the country. The Times said that ABB currently employs thousands of people in China.

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Tim is the Editorial Director of Robotics247.com. His mission is to provide valuable information and insights to robotics professionals and decision-makers, and to help them solve business challenges. He is a creative, deadline-driven, and detail-oriented storyteller. In addition, he is a sports broadcaster and public address announcer.

SoftBank’s proposed $5.4B acquisition of ABB Robotics blocked by China