CADEXCO highlights the growth of exports of goods for September 2021, whose figures reached a value of 2,281 million, representing 27% more than in the same previous period; according to the report issued by the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promoter (Procomer). The sectors with the highest participation during 2021 also experienced growth compared to the previous period: the precision and medical equipment sector grew by 41%, the agricultural sector by 6% and the food sector by 26%. Other sectors with a lower participation registered a growth of up to 66%, such as the metal working industry.
This sustained growth is achieved despite the great challenges faced by the export sector in terms of competitiveness, pending issues that require attention from the different government authorities. However, the export promotion agenda still has pending challenges, in which PROCOMER’s support is essential; how to make better use of the Asian market.
In addition, in these months, there has been a high cost and shortage of containers that affects the flow of goods and affects the competitiveness of the country. The export sector has a double impact since Costa Rica imports many inputs and raw materials by sea to be transformed for export. This situation is worrying, as our sector is a priority for the economy and generating around 870 thousand direct and indirect jobs, we need urgent measures to mitigate this situation.
On October 12th, 2020, the tariff preferences to Euroasia were eliminated for Costa Rica, all these barriers force us to improve the conditions of the country, so we ask the authorities to speed up projects that promote and improve the business environment as well as promote the competitiveness; such as the Free Zones project, the Agrochemicals Registry, without neglecting the rejection of other projects that limit the sector and exceed regulations, inspections or slow down employers.
“The current situation generates new challenges that we must face, the sector has been a representative of the economic reactivation, maintaining and creating jobs, we need to promote tools that allow the competitiveness of the sector and promote bills that facilitate a better business climate, Likewise, we need to improve the information in advance in the face of market regulations that allow us to adapt our export offer”, underlines Laura Bonilla, President of CADEXCO.
