Supply-Chain Financing That Powers Economies Faces New Scrutiny

A $700 billion funding market that’s quietly greasing the wheels of the global economy is coming under greater scrutiny of accounting watchdogs.

A form of short-term borrowing, known as supply-chain finance, operates off corporate balance sheets and has become so prevalent that the US Securities and Exchange Commission called Coca-Cola and Boeing to reveal details of their exposure to what some call “hidden debt.”