On December 18th, Nissan and Honda stated that they are exploring various possibilities of cooperation to leverage each other's advantages and will release the latest situation in a timely manner. Both Nissan and Honda stated that the merger report was not announced by either company. The two companies stated in an email statement that "as announced in March this year, Honda and Nissan are exploring various possibilities for future cooperation to fully leverage each other's strengths," adding that they will inform stakeholders of any updates at the appropriate time.