How digital finance impacts trade credit in supply chains: An analysis from Chinese A-share listed companies

Digital finance is reshaping trade credit. This study investigates the influence of digital finance on trade credit among A-share listed companies in China from 2011 to 2020. The paper matches this data with city-level digital finance index (DFI) data. Empirical results indicate that digital finance significantly benefits trade credit. This impact occurs through bank competition, regulatory penalties, and disclosure quality channels. Different levels of digital finance development and financing constraints of companies have a varying impact on trade credit. This paper provides a new perspective on trade credit in the firm's supply chain that enriches theoretical research on digital finance. The research results can help the country to implement digital finance development strategy better and offer relevant guidance and reference.