Launch of Share Buy-Back

ABB Ltd
29 March 2001


ABB Media Relations                     ABB Investor Relations
Thomas Schmidt                          Switzerland: Tel: [phone]
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ABB launches Share buy-back
Six million shares correspond to about two percent of total share capital

Zurich, Switzerland, March 29, 2001 - ABB announced today that it has started
the share buy-back program approved at its annual general meeting on March 20,
2001 to repurchase six million ABB Ltd shares for Cancellation.

The shares correspond to about two percent of the company's total share
capital. The buy-back program is part of ABB's commitment to create more value
for shareholders.

The share buy-back will take place exclusively on the SWX Swiss Exchange. It
uses a second line of trading established specifically for this purpose, in
which ABB will be the only purchaser. Shareholders wishing to sell their shares
can therefore make them available to the company for the purpose of the
subsequent capital reduction, or sell them on the first line in the main sector
of the SWX Swiss Exchange.

Shareholders are advised that on all sales using the second line, Swiss Federal
withholding tax amounting to 35 percent of the difference between the respective
price paid for the shares and their nominal value will be deducted.

Shareholders living in Switzerland are entitled to a reimbursement of the Swiss
Federal withholding tax if they are beneficial owners of the shares at the time
they are tendered. Shareholders living outside Switzerland may claim back the 
tax in accordance with any applicable double taxation treaty.

ABB has employed Credit Suisse First Boston for the share-buy-back.

ABB (www.abb.com) serves manufacturing, process and consumer industries,
utilities, the oil and gas markets, with 160,000 employees in more than 100
countries.