# China blocks SoftBank's $5.375 billion ABB Robotics acquisition in country

_Published Friday, November 6, 2026 at 3:06 AM EST · Robotics, Policy · Latest · Tier 1 — Major_

![China blocks SoftBank's $5.375 billion ABB Robotics acquisition in country — Primary](https://www.therobotreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/ABBrobots-featured.jpg)

Chinese regulators have prohibited SoftBank's $5.375 billion acquisition of ABB's robotics division in China, ABB confirmed to The Robot Report. The country's foreign investment security review office issued the prohibition; the Financial Times reported concerns that robotics data could be transferred overseas to train AI models.

ABB manufactures about 90% of the machines it builds for Chinese customers locally, employing thousands of people in the country. Its robotics business in China grew 32% in Q3 2026. ABB said it and SoftBank remain in close dialogue and are working on the transaction.

## Sources

- [The Robot Report](https://www.therobotreport.com/chinese-regulators-block-softbanks-5-4b-acquisition-of-abb-robotics/)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/YY6_wDdLzy_K_1p_BPnB0e
Published: 2026-11-06T08:06:49.051Z
Story chronology: 2026-11-05T16:25:46.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-11-06T23:11:30.615Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)