www.msn.com, Jun. 13, 2025 –
China's antitrust regulator has delayed approving the proposed $35B merger between Synopsys (NASDAQ:SNPS) and Ansys (NASDAQ:ANSS), two people with knowledge of the matter told the Financial Times.
The deal was in the final stage of the State Administration for Market Regulation's (SAMR) approval process and was expected to be completed by the end of the month. The deal has already been cleared by regulators in the U.S. and Europe.
A source told FT that the delay in China was due to the U.S. banning chip design software sales to China last month, which complicated the merger approval process.
However, another source said the delay from the original 180-day schedule was because of the deal's complexity, and not directly linked with the ongoing trade war.
Despite the delay, the deal could still be approved if Synopsys (NASDAQ:SNPS) submitted solutions addressing the SAMR's concerns, according to the report.
"We are working cooperatively and actively negotiating with SAMR to secure China regulatory clearance, and we continue to anticipate closing in the first half of this year," Synopsys (NASDAQ:SNPS) CEO Sassine Ghazi said in an earnings call last month.