Risk is becoming increasingly concentrated rather than widespread, masking a widening gap in performance, according to Silvia Ungaro, Senior Advisor on B2B payment trends at Atradius. While stronger, larger companies maintain stable payment behavior through diversified customer bases and better financing access, weaker segments face rising strain that remains hidden in broader metrics.

Sector performance highlights this divergence. The construction and trade sectors face elevated risk due to long payment cycles and complex supply chains that constrain liquidity. Manufacturing is seeing an early deterioration in payment discipline, with rising overdue invoices linked to demand volatility. Meanwhile, the services sector remains comparatively stable but cautious, reflecting sensitivity to a broader economic slowdown.

This strain is manifesting in widespread late payments, with over 80% of surveyed suppliers reporting difficulties. As customer cash flow stress intensifies, firms are increasingly delaying their own payments, creating a ripple effect that transmits financial pressure across entire supply chains. With companies evenly split on whether conditions will improve or deteriorate in the coming months, the outlook for Asian trade markets remains defined by uncertainty and building underlying risk.