New Delhi, March 15 -- Cross-border payment firms serving Indian exporters are beginning to feel the impact of shipping delays in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and West Asia, as stalled cargo shipments slow collections and delay settlements, industry executives said. The disruption is most visible in merchandise exports, while service exporters such as software firms and freelancers have so far seen limited impact.

While the immediate impact of the West Asia conflict is being felt largely by goods exporters, with shipments of electronics, food products and other items getting delayed, the disruption is also creating a backlog of payments that is likely to clear only after consignments reach buyers in the GCC and other Middle East ma...