Honda, Nissan end merger talks, promise to continue cooperation

Honda Motor Co and Nissan Motor Co on Thursday announced the decision to terminate discussions on a potential merger, bringing an end to the restructuring attempt that could have created one of the world's largest automotive group.

Both companies held board meetings on Thursday, where they agreed to withdraw the basic agreement signed in December 2024 and officially end merger discussions.

In the rapidly changing market environment in the age of electrification, prioritizing decision-making speed and the execution of management measures would make it more appropriate to forgo the merger at this time, Nissan said in a statement on its website.

Moving forward, the companies will continue to collaborate within the framework of the strategic partnership memorandum, the two companies said in separate statements.

Honda will hold an online press conference at 4:50pm local time regarding details of the decision.

The two companies initially focused on forming a holding company that would oversee both brands, but negotiations stalled over the shareholding structure as tensions escalated when Honda proposed making Nissan its subsidiary, an idea Nissan strongly opposed.

According to local media, Honda has been pushing Nissan to accelerate its restructuring efforts. In November 2024, Nissan announced plans to cut 9,000 jobs worldwide and reduce its global production capacity by 20 percent after reporting a more than 90 percent drop in net profit for the April-September period.