Small business navigating pandemic and misconduct

The ACCC has released their latest Small Business in Focus report, providing people with a snapshot of their activities in small business, franchising and agriculture during the first half of 2020.

Between January and June they received 112 reports and 40 enquiries about agriculture related issues. This is a 50 percent increase in overall contacts from the previous six months.

Some key developments and enforcement action highlighted in our report include:

• publication of new guidance for the Dairy Code of Conduct
• agreement from some of Australia’s biggest winemakers to change their supply agreements with grape growers after they raised concerns that the contracts contained terms which were likely to be unfair
• announcement of the ACCC’s 2020 Compliance and Enforcement Priorities and revised priorities designed to respond to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
• publication of country of origin food labelling guidance for businesses that have experienced changes in their supply chains as a result of the pandemic
• authorisation of a wide range of urgent interim arrangements as businesses and industry associations sought to deal with the pandemic.

Find out more in the media release.