Sony Corp. said Wednesday it has delayed the sale of its battery business to electronic parts maker Murata Manufacturing Co. scheduled for early April by three months to early July, due apparently to an ongoing assessment of the deal by overseas competition watchdogs.
The Japanese electronics giant said it is examining the impact of the delayed sales on its earnings in fiscal 2017 starting in April. The company has estimated the transaction value of factories both at home and abroad at about ¥17.5 billion ($153 million).
The two companies have agreed that two domestic factories of Sony Energy Devices Corp., Sony's wholly owned unit based in Fukushima Prefecture, and factories in China and Singapore will be transferred to Murata.
Murata, a Kyoto-based electronic parts maker, is planning to take over around 8,500 employees at home and abroad, Sony said.
Sony started the battery business in 1975, becoming the first in the world to commercialize lithium-ion batteries in 1991, but has lost its competitive edge to South Korean rivals.