Japan, China, and Vietnam Turn Closing Mechanics Into a Deal Risk Variable
Across Japan, China, and Vietnam, the real execution risk is shifting from getting a deal approved to getting it closed cleanly.
Updated
What is this trend?
Deal execution in Japan, China, and Vietnam is becoming a closing-risk issue as approval timelines, funding steps, and filing mechanics increasingly determine whether transactions can actually finish.
- Japan FEFTA is easing low-risk deals, but sensitive or indirect acquisitions can still stretch to five months.
- China is tightening controls, keeping cross-border approvals more interventionist and less predictable.
- Vietnam’s Circular 38 adds bank-account and documentation steps that can complicate funding, escrow, and remittance.
- Closing risk now includes how money, filings, and approvals move—not just whether a deal is approved.
- Corp Dev teams need country-specific closing maps before LOI, not after signing.
What’s the latest?
Japan’s FEFTA changes are widening the gap in Asia deal execution: lower-risk inbound transactions should clear with less friction, while sensitive and indirect acquisitions still face a 30-day defaul
How it developed
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