By DRC

The Fruit and Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corporation (DRC) is excited to announce their participation in Fruit Attraction 2023, which will take place in Madrid, Spain, from October 3rd to 5th.

The DRC has participated in this event three times before and is looking forward to attending it for the fourth time. They will share booth #8A19 with the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) during the event.

The DRC is a third-party organization whose primary function is to help its members prevent and resolve trade disputes through its effective dispute resolution mechanism which includes education, consultation, mediation, and arbitration.

In addition, the DRC offers various other tools helping its members make informed business decisions about their trade partners and practices with access to the following:

• A database containing more than 1,700 companies. The vast majority are in Canada and the United States.
• Guidelines and trade rules that apply by default in the absence of a written contract between sellers and buyers. These resources contribute to a fair trade between the parties by establishing their rights and obligations in a commercial transaction.
• Transport rules that set out the rights and responsibilities of carriers and transportation intermediaries of perishable goods and those who contract with them.
• Private and confidential advice through consultations prior to submitting a formal claim.
• Seminars and webinars that focus on industry trade and transport regulations, which are tailored to specific needs of our members.
• Commercial advice to members wishing to resolve a dispute with non-members residing in the United States and are covered by The Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, also known as PACA.
• The Solutions Newsletter. Never miss informative news, articles, or event events by registering for our monthly publication. Click here to register.

Become a member of DRC

By paying an annual fee of USD 870.00, members have access to all DRC services at no additional cost. DRC's dispute resolution services and processes can be used as many times as necessary during the membership coverage.

Arbitration is the only service that has a fee depending on the claim amount.

By becoming a DRC member, some of these benefits are:

• The DRC can be used between buyers and sellers worldwide as long as both parties are DRC members before a dispute arises and the product is marketed in North America. Additionally, we are working on amending our Bylaws and Operating Rules to remove the coverage limitation that the product must be marketed in North America.
• The Dispute Resolution Rules allow us to resolve disputes faster and more economically than any legal proceeding or administrative systems such as PACA.
• 80% of formal claims received are settled during the informal mediation phase. The best part is that this mediation phase is free of charge.
• Arbitral decisions and awards can be registered and enforced in the courts of 172 countries that are signatories to the 1958 New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Arbitral Awards.
• DRC members have access through our members portal to a more detailed contact information of our members.

In Canada, fresh fruit and vegetable trading companies must be members of the DRC by law. Canada’s Safe Food for Canadian Regulations require produce business to have a DRC membership when importing or dealing interprovincially.

The DRC has achieved a significant milestone since its establishment. Its mediation and arbitration services have played a crucial role to its members in resolving more than 2,000 disputes between buyers and sellers of fresh fruits and vegetables, with a combined value exceeding $105 million.

Our DRC's members list is publicly accessible in an abbreviated format that is updated weekly. This provides a quick and easy way to determine who is a member of the DRC. Click here to view.

For more information, you can contact:

Jaime Bustamante, Director of Trading Assistance
Fruit and Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corporation
Phone: +1-613-234-0982 ext. 224
Email: jbustamante@fvdrc.com

Or visit the DRC website at https://www.fvdrc.com