Japan advises halt to MBK's Makino Milling bid amid security review, Nikkei reports
22/04/2026 15:40
TOKYO, April 22 (Reuters) - The Japanese government has advised Asian investment fund MBK Partners to halt its acquisition of machine tools maker Makino Milling Machine 6135.T following a national security review, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Wednesday. MBK announced its plan in June last year to acquire Makino Milling through a tender offer, but prolonged domestic and overseas regulatory reviews have pushed back the expected launch of the tender offer to late June. The Nikkei said that machine tools were an industry that includes "dual-use" technology, which can be diverted to the manufacture of weapons, but did not specify the reason for the government's advice. To date, Japan has rejected only one deal under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act - an attempted acquisition by the London-based Children's Investment Fund of Electric Power Development 9513.T in 2008. (Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki; Editing by Alex Richardson) ((Makiko.Yamazaki@thomsonreuters.com;))