RBS, which is more than 70 per cent state-owned, is still in the throes of a restructuring, which includes asset sales, job cuts and tackling multi-billion dollar charges to settle litigation and pay regulatory fines for past misconduct.
Sources told Reuters that buyers of the various shipping loan tranches included Japanese financial services firm Orix Corp, Germany's Berenberg Bank, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and asset manager Davidson Kempner.
Bank of America and Berenberg declined to comment. Orix could not be reached for comment. Davidson Kempner and RBS also declined to comment.
The loans, which primarily come from RBS's Greek shipping business which was valued earlier this year at $3 billion, are being sold in various parcels, one of the sources said.
"Discreet sales talks have been going on for a while," one source said.
German banks, the big shipping lenders, are struggling to recoup their loans, while many other financial institutions are looking at reducing if not eliminating exposure.
Sources had told Reuters earlier this year that Orix and Berenberg were among potential suitors that had looked at RBS's Greek shipping business.
Sources told Reuters that buyers of the various shipping loan tranches included Japanese financial services firm Orix Corp, Germany's Berenberg Bank, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and asset manager Davidson Kempner.
Bank of America and Berenberg declined to comment. Orix could not be reached for comment. Davidson Kempner and RBS also declined to comment.
The loans, which primarily come from RBS's Greek shipping business which was valued earlier this year at $3 billion, are being sold in various parcels, one of the sources said.
"Discreet sales talks have been going on for a while," one source said.
German banks, the big shipping lenders, are struggling to recoup their loans, while many other financial institutions are looking at reducing if not eliminating exposure.
Sources had told Reuters earlier this year that Orix and Berenberg were among potential suitors that had looked at RBS's Greek shipping business.