East West Bank Routing Number: Pacific Rim Banking in America

A bridge across the Pacific

East West Bank was founded in 1973 in the Chinatown neighborhood of Los Angeles with a single mission: serve the financial needs of the Chinese-American community. What started as a small savings and loan with $6.2 million in assets has grown into the largest minority-owned commercial bank in the United States, with over $70 billion in assets and branches spanning California, Texas, New York, Georgia, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Washington.

The bank's routing number - 322070381 - carries the 322 prefix assigned by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, reflecting the bank's California charter. This single routing number serves all East West Bank accounts regardless of branch state, a simplicity that belies the complexity of the bank's cross-border operations linking American businesses to markets across Greater China and Southeast Asia.

The largest minority-owned bank in the United States

East West Bank holds a distinction that no other US bank can claim: it is the largest minority depository institution (MDI) certified by the FDIC. This designation is more than symbolic. MDIs receive regulatory support and community development incentives designed to ensure underserved populations have access to banking services. East West has used this position to become the go-to financial institution for Asian-American entrepreneurs, immigrant families, and businesses conducting trade across the Pacific.

The bank's bilingual staff, Chinese-language banking platforms, and deep familiarity with both US and Chinese regulatory environments give it a competitive moat that larger banks struggle to replicate. For a mid-market company importing goods from Shenzhen or a family purchasing property in both San Francisco and Shanghai, East West provides a rare combination of cultural fluency and institutional banking capability.

Cross-border commerce and dual-currency services

East West Bank operates full-service branches in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan - a rarity for an American bank of its size. This physical presence in Greater China enables services that go beyond standard international wire transfers: trade finance, letters of credit, foreign exchange hedging, and renminbi-denominated accounts. For US-based importers and exporters, routing number 322070381 is often the starting point for payment flows that cross the Pacific multiple times a month.

The bank's SWIFT code is EWBKUS66, used for incoming international wires. East West also participates in China's Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS), which provides faster settlement for RMB transactions than routing payments through traditional correspondent banks.

Domestic transfers and ACH through East West Bank

For standard domestic transactions (direct deposit, ACH payments, and bill pay), the routing number 322070381 applies universally across all East West Bank account types. The bank supports same-day ACH for business accounts and offers a commercial treasury management platform for companies with high transaction volumes.

Domestic wire transfer fees at East West Bank typically run $25 for outgoing wires, while international wire fees range from $35 to $50 depending on the destination and currency. Incoming wires, both domestic and international, are generally free for business account holders.

Scaling beyond a single corridor with Slash

East West Bank carved out a powerful niche by specializing in US-China commerce. But businesses that trade across multiple corridors - not just the Pacific Rim - need banking infrastructure that isn't tethered to a single geographic relationship. Slash provides a modern business banking platform with built-in expense management, virtual and physical corporate cards, and integrations with the accounting tools finance teams already use.

For companies that have outgrown the single-corridor model and need streamlined domestic banking alongside their international operations, Slash offers the kind of clean, modern platform that lets finance teams focus on growth instead of banking logistics.