B2B payment practices trends, The Netherlands 2024

Payment Practices Barometer

  • Netherlands
  • Agriculture,
  • Food,
  • Construction,
  • Chemicals/Pharma

There is a widely varying trade credit landscape for Dutch business across all sectors in the current challenging economic climate.

Key takeaways from the report for the Netherlands  

The 2024 Payment Practices Barometer survey for the Netherlands was conducted between the end of Q1 and the beginning of Q2 2024. The findings should therefore be viewed with this in mind.

Varied trade credit landscape amid economic headwinds

  • There is a widely varying trade credit landscape for Dutch business across all sectors in the current challenging economic climate. A 70% rise in late payments signals financial distress for consumer durables companies. Across sectors, large companies are more  flexible in offering trade credit to B2B customers, while SMEs are cautious as they seek to
    minimise credit risk.
     
  • An 18% increase in B2B sales made on credit features in the Dutch transport industry, while a concern for the construction industry is a 33% decline in the number of companies
    involved in B2B sales on credit.

Recruitment headaches among wide range of concerns

  • A prime concern for companies across all sectors of our survey in the Netherlands is the shortage of a skilled workforce. This is both an immediate and long-term worry, and is particularly evident in the construction industry where 46% of companies say it is a pressing issue.
     
  • The risk of cyber-threat to business is a particular anxiety in the Dutch consumer durables sector, both in the short-term and looking further ahead, with 36% of companies expressing this view. 45% of businesses in the transport industry say they have concern about the economy and strong competition in international trade.

The Atradius Payment Practices Barometer is an annual survey of business-to-business (B2B) payment practices in markets across the world. Its findings can give valuable insights into the current dynamics of corporate payment behaviour in B2B trade. It can also help companies doing business, or planning to do so, in the markets polled to identify emerging future trends in the payment practices of B2B customers. 

Interested in finding out more? 

For a complete overview of the 2024 survey results for the Netherlands and Western Europe, please download the full reports available in the related documents section below. 

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