ICBC

ICBC provides escrow for cross-border trade, M&A, share transfers and debt restructuring. The bank opens a separate escrow account, holds money, securities and documents, and releases assets under agreed conditions and payment instructions.

Services

• Cross-border escrow
• Funds escrow
• Asset escrow

Assets held

Besides cash, the bank lists securities and documents or other assets. This makes the structure usable where a deal needs more than a payment to be held, for example share certificates or title documents that must change hands at the same time as the price.

Clients

Customers listed are Chinese and foreign companies, investment banks, venture capital and private equity funds and international corporations. A foreign investor buying a stake in a Chinese company is the typical situation in which a neutral escrow account at a domestic bank helps both sides.

Market

The market is China.

Terms to confirm

Fees, currencies, onboarding documents, settlement times and the ICBC entity or branch that would act as escrow agent are not listed and should be agreed for the transaction.