Costa Rica: Trade Partnerships

Costa Rica's economy was historically built on agricultural exports such as coffee and bananas, but the country has transformed since the 1980s into an export-oriented hub for advanced manufacturing and services. Beginning with reforms that established free trade zones and attracted foreign investment, successive governments pursued trade liberalization and diversification away from traditional commodities. Medical devices, electronics, and business services now rank among Costa Rica's most significant exports, reflecting decades of deliberate industrial policy.

As of 2025, the United States remained Costa Rica's most important trading partner, according to national trade data. Costa Rica's goods exports reached a record $22.855 billion that year, a 14 percent increase over 2024, led by precision and medical equipment, which alone accounted for roughly 48 percent of the total. North America was the leading destination for Costa Rican goods, growing 15 percent, while exports to Asia expanded fastest, at 39 percent, and exports to Europe grew 17 percent. Pineapple and bananas remained the country's leading agricultural exports.

Costa Rica's trade relationships are anchored by the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), which took effect for the country in 2009 and binds it to the United States and its Central American neighbors. Costa Rica also maintains a free trade agreement with China, which entered into force in 2011, and an association agreement with the European Union covering trade. As of 2026, Costa Rica was in the final stages of acceding to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), having substantially concluded accession negotiations.