The Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promoter (PROCOMER) and 8 Costa Rican companies from the food industry exhibited their exportable offer in Japan, through their participation in FOODEX 2023, one of the most important international fairs in this sector on the Asian continent, which took place between March 7th and 10th, and was attended by more than 45 countries.
Frozen and dehydrated fruits, roasted gourmet coffee, frozen roots and tubers, chocolates and fruit purees are some of the products that will be exhibited at a stand of the country brand Essential Costa Rica. “Exhibiting the offer of Costa Rican food products at FOODEX 2023 Japan, our second commercial partner in Asia, not only allows Costa Rican exporters to show the world their wide catalog of products, but also opens up new business opportunities in Asian markets, and better understand the competition and behavior of the world food market”, commented Mario Sáenz, PROCOMER Export Development Manager.
Participation in the fair allows consolidating Costa Rica’s presence in Asian markets as well as in the United States and Europe. During the fair, the participating exporters visited some of the largest supermarket chains, as well as international companies that need to be supplied with Costa Rican products, which will allow them the presence and positioning of the brand, accompanied by a possible increase in the client portfolio.
For her part, Mariannella Chaves, Senior Account Executive of the ‘Todo Natural’ company, added that “Costa Rica’s participation in FOODEX aims to position the variety and quality of Costa Rican products through the exhibition of an innovative portfolio and through At the same time, generate new contacts and follow up on businesses already established in Japan. It also allows businessmen to identify industry trends, which very well reflect changes in consumption to meet the needs of a post-pandemic era”.
As part of PROCOMER’s support to the participating companies, advice was provided regarding the logistics of the event, as well as cultural issues for the optimal development of businesses and other considerations to take into account during the visit to the Japanese market. Likewise, digital tools were provided to publicize the products offered and facilitate their exposure to potential buyers.
Currently, Japan is the second most important trading partner for Costa Rica in Asia. At the end of 2022, exports of US$4,204 million to Japan were registered with products such as, mainly, medical devices and electro-diagnostic devices.
