SoftBank Group announced that China's review authority had prohibited its acquisition of ABB's robotics business in China. The transaction includes a prohibition on acquiring the China business, and the two companies are continuing discussions.
On 6 November 2026, SoftBank Group announced that it had received a notification on the 4th prohibiting its acquisition of ABB's robotics business in China. ABB also disclosed the previous day that it had received notice of the prohibition from SoftBank, explaining that the two companies were holding close discussions over the transaction.
The prohibition concerns the acquisition of ABB's robotics business in China. It is not an announcement that the sale agreement for the ABB Robotics division as a whole has been terminated or that its factories in China or customer services have been suspended. The reason for the prohibition and its legal basis have not been disclosed.
The enterprise value of the sale announced in October 2025 was $5.375 billion, but this was the valuation of the ABB Robotics division as a whole, not the price of the China business alone. The latest announcement therefore needs to be read by distinguishing between the transaction as a whole and the prohibition on acquiring the China business.
At this point, the matter remains at the stage of continued discussions, including over the prohibition on acquiring the China business, and it has not been disclosed whether the transaction as a whole has been completed or fallen through.