Cross border chain management

In order to achieve a year-round supply of fresh produce we observe more supply chains in the agri-food sector operating on an international level. This means that companies from countries with different cultures will meet. These companies will find themselves in a business environment that is different from their own. The environment of the international transacting partners like contract law, custody of trade, the financial system, business culture and the role of the state in industry may deviate from the domestic frame and thus make conditions of trade less predictable. A common system of legal regulations in a domestic buyer-seller relationship will have the potential to absorb risk and behavioural uncertainty and to foster co-operation rather than dispute and con-flict, this changes when the buyer-seller relation is put in a international setting. In this research the specific problems that companies face when forming alliances with companies from other countries will be scrutinised. By means of case studies of cross border chains in the fresh produce in Europe and North America. A model will be developed to support decision-making on vertical co-ordination in international supply chains.