ABB Says China Barred SoftBank’s Purchase of ABB Robotics in China

What happened

Sale Replaced ABB’s Planned Spin-Off The agreement was signed on October 8, 2025 , when ABB chose the divestment over its earlier intention to spin off Robotics as a separately listed company. The separation also changed ABB’s reporting structure in the fourth quarter of 2025: Robotics moved to discontinued operations, while Machine Automation joined Process Automation.

ABB said on November 5, 2026 that SoftBank had informed it of a Chinese prohibition on the acquisition of the ABB Robotics business in China, creating a regulatory obstacle for the planned divestment, which has an enterprise value of $5.375 billion. SoftBank manages the process for obtaining the transaction’s regulatory approvals, which remain outstanding alongside customary closing conditions.

The prohibition covers the business in China. ABB and SoftBank remain in close dialogue and are working constructively on the transaction, leaving the wider divestment active but facing a jurisdiction-specific ownership restriction.

The original timetable expected closing in mid-to-late 2026. ABB chairman Peter Voser said the board evaluated SoftBank’s offer against that spin-off plan and viewed the sale as creating immediate value for shareholders.

ABB planned to deploy the proceeds under its capital-allocation principles while continuing its long-term strategy in electrification and automation. The separation rationale also included limited business and technology synergies between Robotics and ABB’s remaining operations, together with different demand and market characteristics.

At signing, ABB estimated that closing would produce a non-operational pre-tax book gain of approximately $2.4 billion and cash proceeds net of transaction costs of approximately $5.3 billion. Robotics Scale and SoftBank’s Physical AI Plan ABB Robotics develops, manufactures and sells industrial robots.