Coface’s APAC Payment Survey 2026 found 93% of organisations in Hong Kong experienced late payments in the past 12 months, above the 91% average across Asia Pacific (APAC).

Hong Kong’s GDP grew 5.1% in the first half of 2026, its fastest half-yearly growth in nearly five years. That growth has not yet translated into better payment behaviour.

Customer defaults are less frequent and severe in Hong Kong than in other APAC markets.

Yet around four in 10 respondents said payment delays had become more frequent and severe than a year earlier.

On average, firms wait 144 days between product delivery and final payment collection.

In transportation, energy and agriculture, this period exceeds 160 days.

Half of respondents expect payment conditions to deteriorate further over the next 12 months, compared with 48% across APAC.

Nearly three-quarters (73%) of respondents said long-standing relationships affect how much late payment they tolerate.

The influence is weaker than across the wider region, with 22% saying it applies to a great extent, compared with 32% across APAC.

“So despite the strong headline numbers, many companies still feel business conditions are challenging, and payment behaviour remains under pressure,”

said Junyu Tan, Regional Economist for North Asia at Coface.

“But trust and a strong payment history do not reflect a customer’s financial position today and it can change much faster than a relationship built over years,”

said Chris Murphy, General Manager for Hong Kong at Coface.

Hong Kong firms are also less likely to adopt highly structured, analytics-led approaches to payment risk, at 14% versus 31% across APAC.

Most firms (60%) do not expect payment terms to change over the coming year.

Only 32% said they had become more cautious in the past 12 months, against 48% regionally.

Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Hong Kong, based on image by lifeforstock via Magnific.