March 17, 2026 — It’s getting easier for companies to onboard new banks, and large companies in Asia are taking full advantage of this trend as they adjust supply chains and businesses in response to U.S. tariffs.

Tariffs imposed by the Trump administration in the United States are driving a redistribution of trade volumes across global corridors. As Asian companies shift their focus from exports to the West to intra-Asian trade and other opportunities, they need cash management providers in new markets.

At the same time, technological innovation has made it easier for companies to onboard new banks, reducing the disruptions and switching costs that have traditionally made companies think twice before bringing on new cash management providers.

As a result of these intersecting trends, 44% of large corporates in Asia added at least one new cash management banking relationship last year. Although the bulk of these new cash management hires are global banks, a growing share of companies are turning to Asia’s regional banks for cash management services within APAC. These results suggest that Asia regional banks in Asia are beginning to compete with global providers on a more even footing within the scope of intra-Asia trade.

The Connectivity Advantage
Progress by local providers is largely the result of heavy investments in technology by Asian regional banks, which are taking advantage of APIs and other tools that allow clients to plug corporate systems into bank platforms.

“Unlike global providers that must layer new capabilities onto existing legacy technology systems, regional banks in Asia have been able to modernize more selectively and execute transformation initiatives with greater agility,” says Ruchirangad Agarwal, Relationship Director and Head of Corporate Banking at Crisil Coalition Greenwich and coauthor of Asia cash management: Tariffs and technology create new opportunities for providers. “This approach has allowed them to accelerate upgrades in their implementation process, connectivity and user experience, making their systems relatively easy for corporates to implement, connect to and use.”

This connectivity advantage could become even more important as real-time payments move further into the mainstream. Nearly 60% of the corporates participating in our study expect to be using real-time payments within 12–18 months, and approximately 40% expect to be using real-time liquidity solutions.

Asia cash management: Tariffs and technology create new opportunities for providers presents the result of the firm’s 2025 Asia Corporate Cash Management Study. The report analyzes trends in Asia cash management, focusing on how tariffs, technological innovation, and evolving banking relationships are shaping the market.