Beijing, January 16, 2026 — China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said it has approved, with restrictive conditions, American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings’ acquisition of an equity stake in Dowlais Group.
SAMR said the case concerns a merger between major global suppliers of automotive drivetrain products, which play a key role in transmitting power and ensuring the safe and stable operation of vehicles.
In its review, SAMR said it assessed the potential impact of the transaction on competition in China’s automotive power transmission unit market and rear-drive module market.
SAMR said the approval was granted subject to commitments by American Axle and Dowlais, including fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory supply terms and development opportunities, continued performance of existing obligations, stable pricing, and a pledge not to refuse reasonable renewal requests.
SAMR stated that the conditions are designed to support reasonable pricing and a stable supply of high-performance automotive components, protect downstream customers and consumers, and help maintain a fair competitive environment for the orderly development of China’s automotive industry.
Source: https://www.samr.gov.cn/xw/zj/art/2026/art_438627586c2a4bbb86b6f7ea4daa702b.html
