The bills are due: US$212b Asian corporate debt set to mature by 2019

Chinese firms lead the debtors' pack.

Around US$212 billion of rated financial and nonfinancial corporate debt is expected to mature in the emerging Asia region from the second half of 2014 through the end of 2019, according to an article published by Standard & Poor's Global Fixed Income Research.

This represents about 2.2% of the US$9.5 trillion of rated corporate debt that are expected to mature globally during this time horizon.

"Led by China, the emerging Asia region continues to increase its footprint in the global credit markets," said Diane Vazza, head of Standard & Poor's Global Fixed Income Research. "While loans remain the region's favored form of
corporate financing, the bond markets have seen increased activity in recent years."

In contrast, US$4.2 trillion of rated corporate debt is expected to mature in Europe through 2019, US$3.8 trillion is expected to mature in the U.S., US$1.1 trillion is expected to mature in the other developed region (Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand), and US$269 billion is expected to mature in the other emerging countries outside of Asia.

Emerging Asia's new corporate bond issuance through the first half of 2014 was US$182 billion, US$78 billion of which came from Chinese companies.