Japanese auto giants Honda and Nissan confirmed they've scrapped merger talks announced in December​, ending a potential combination that would have created the world's third-largest automaker.

TOKYO—Honda and Nissan on Thursday officially scrapped their planned merger less than two months after announcing it, putting pressure on troubled Nissan to look for other partnerships.The two Japanese automakers had said in December that they planned to combine operations by 2026,

Nissan Motor Co. ( OTCPK:NSANY) and Honda Motor ( NYSE: HMC) have called off talks on a deal that would have created the world's third-largest carmaker. The development was widely anticipated after discussions had stalled in recent weeks to break off any merger momentum.