China blocks SoftBank's US$5.37bn bid for ABB Robotics

China’s regulatory authorities have intervened to halt the acquisition of ABB Robotics, ABB’s China-based robotics arm, by Japanese technology conglomerate SoftBank. 

SoftBank’s planned US$5.37bn acquisition of ABB Robotics has been prohibited by China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). 

When the acquisition was announced in October 2025, the transaction had been expected to close in mid-to-late 2026, depending on regulatory approvals. Instead, it has been blocked by the NDRC, ABB confirmed on 5 November 2026. 

“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,” an ABB statement announced.

The office operates within the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), as part of the wider Ministry of Commerce. The NDRC is closely involved in the development of China’s 5-Year Plans, although the responsibility for implementation of the plans is devolved to the relevant ministries; the office is also closely involved in efforts to develop and maintain competitiveness in strategically important sectors of the economy. 

The latest intervention offers further confirmation of the sensitivity of cross-border acquisitions in the AI and technology space. The intervention by the Chinese authorities follows the NDRC’s blocking of a proposed takeover of AI start-up Manus by Meta in April 2026. 

Cross‑border reach

ABB Robotics opened a US$150m robotics manufacturing hub in the Pudong district of Shanghai in China in 2022. The company makes 90% of its production for the Chinese market domestically.  

China alone accounted for 54% of industrial robot deployments in 2024, with its operational robot inventory surpassing 2m units. The country's market share has also climbed to 57%, representing growth from approximately 28% over the previous decade. 

As ABB Robotics was originally founded in China, it remains subject to the country’s stringent export controls governing the transfer of domestic technology to foreign firms. While no rationale for the regulatory intervention has been announced, the potential integration of data from physical AI focused enterprises into AI models has been the subject of considerable interest. 

When SoftBank originally announced its plans to acquire ABB's robotics division in October 2025, the deal was seen as a major element of the company’s strategy to invest in physical AI.

Neither the NDRC nor SoftBank have made any public comment about the intervention. ABB said in a brief statement that “ABB and SoftBank are in close dialogue and are working constructively on the transaction."

Meet the partners

ABB

• CEO: Morten Wierod
• Headquarters: Zurich, Switzerland

ABB is a global technology leader in electrification and automation, driving software-integrated engineering solutions to optimize manufacturing and robotics performance. ABB is the parent technology company behind the robotics portfolio. Its wider automation capabilities provide the corporate and engineering foundation for ABB Robotics’ physical-AI, robot-control and simulation platforms.

ABB Robotics

• President: Marc Segura
• Headquarters: Zurich, Switzerland

ABB Robotics provides innovative solutions for diverse industries including automotive, electronics, and logistics. Its services include AI Robot Trainer, which combines robotic motion, automatic path planning and lifecycle-based AI optimisation.

SoftBank 

• President: Masayoshi Son
• Headquarters: Minato-Ku, Tokyo, Japan

SoftBank Group has invested in a number of physical AI start-ups across robots, tasks and environments, and maintains a strong focus on the integration of physical AI and AI models, including OpenAI.