Coal Companies’ Trade Credit Policy

Abstract

The paper presents issues related to the use of trade credit by coal companies during the 2014-2016 downturn and the upturn of 2017–2018 in the coal industry. Coal companies are at both ends of trade credit, as providers and recipients. Research shows that they financed their activities by means of trade credit more widely than they granted it to coal buyers throughout the entire period. In the downturn, coal companies were keener to credit coal buyers than during the boom in the industry thereby suffering an increased risk of not recouping their receivables. This was reflected in the level of provisions for doubtful receivables. The decline in credit granted to buyers during the downturn is corroborated by a decline in the receivables cycle.