Asian B2B payment risks climb as suppliers face late payments: study

Businesses report reduced cash for operations and weaker cash flow planning.

Business-to-business (B2B) payment risks are rising, leading to businesses offering more trade credit to customers, according to trade credit insurance company Atradius.

Over 80% of suppliers surveyed reported late payments, Atradius said in its B2B payment practice trends Asia report published on 8 July 2026.

“Trend data show that credit losses have edged up in recent months across Asia. Increases are most often reported by manufacturing firms and, at market level, by companies in Hong Kong,” Atradius said in the report, for which it interviewed 2,145 companies across China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

Most businesses across the eight markets now set payment deadlines of up to two months from invoicing, with longer terms remaining limited.

This comes as most businesses report reduced cash available for operations, weaker cash flow planning, and limited investment.

Nearly one third of firms face higher financing costs, whilst one quarter rely more on external funding, Atradius said.

Large industrial companies along with Vietnamese firms are reportedly more likely than other Asian companies to extend payment timelines than shorten them.