The Atradius Payment Practices Barometer for October 2018 shows that Sweden experienced the biggest increase in overdue B2B invoices in Western Europe. The average DSO increased, and it took survey respondents longer to convert B2B receivables into cash. The proportion of uncollectable B2B receivables also increased, with bankruptcy remaining the main reason for write-offs. Construction and consumer durables sectors were problematic, and further deterioration of payment behavior is likely to occur over the next 12 months. The top 5 export sectors in Sweden are machinery/electrical, transportation, wood/wood products, chemicals, and metals, with Germany, Denmark, the US, Norway, and the UK as the top 5 export destinations. The top 5 import sectors are machinery/electrical, transportation, mineral products, chemicals, and metals, with Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and Belgium/Luxembourg as the top 5 import destinations.
