Costa Rica
Commercial relations:
United States - China
Costa Rica – country information
Population:
4.5 million people
Territory: 51,000 m2
No army
Historical priorities:
education and health
Costa Rica – country information
Source: CINDE. Key Economic Indicators 2012.
Costa Rica – country information
Source: CINDE. Key Economic Indicators 2012.
Costa Rica – country information
Source: CINDE. Key Economic Indicators 2012.
Costa Rica – country information
Source: CINDE. Key Economic Indicators 2012.
Most representative imports origins
Other
31%
Total of imports: $13,030,283.00 / more than 30 countries
Main
69%
2012
Guatemala
3%
Germany
3%
Brazil
Chile
3%
3%
China
11%
Colombia
3%
South Korea
2%
$7,480,678.59
United States
72%
~ 50% of total
This information is available on: www.procomer.com
8 countries= 69% imports
Main importation products
US Million
Description
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Petroleum products
$1,078.7
$1,590.4
$1,026.7
$1,291.7
$2,005.7
Integrated circuits and microelectronic
structure
$1,538.3
$1,479.4
$1,084.9
$1,165.0
$1,266.9
Printed circuit boards
$427.6
$406.2
$395.5
$406.8
$589.4
Cars
$462.3
$464.3
$245.8
$399.1
$508.0
Drugs
$369.2
$427.4
$403.7
$451.0
$434.2
Telephones
$140.1
$214.6
$201.2
$216.8
$429.4
Data processors
$163.3
$166.5
$187.7
$196.8
$219.5
Corn
$143.8
$190.5
$131.3
$143.6
$201.3
$86.0
$267.6
$156.1
$212.6
$174.3
Paper and cardboard
$185.8
$169.4
$132.7
$164.0
$161.6
Medical instruments
$108.4
$106.9
$118.0
$153.1
$145.2
Copper wire
$111.9
$131.7
$61.5
$110.2
$140.6
Electric wires
$104.1
$119.6
$95.7
$112.8
$137.7
Insecticide, fungicide and other plaguicides
$114.9
$130.4
$125.1
$141.7
$136.6
Vehicles for merchandising transportation
$177.3
$207.3
$104.8
$110.4
$134.4
Parts for data processors
Main importation products
US Million
Description
Plastic articles for packaging
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
$85.8
$94.0
$84.1
$114.2
$130.2
$107.0
$112.8
$100.1
$113.9
$127.8
Intermed products of steel and iron
$88.9
$120.3
$10.4
$91.1
$122.3
Other plastic manufacturing
$75.6
$88.8
$89.5
$112. 3
$119.9
Crude petroleum
$350.4
$468.9
$208.2
$300.8
$117.2
Polymers of ethylene in basic forms
$107.6
$120.6
$82.2
$108.7
$110.8
Monitors and projectors
$81.5
$85.0
$66.0
$93.6
$109.3
Other alimentary preparations
$66.3
$88.8
$90.6
$93.5
$108.9
Nitrogenous mineral or chemical fertilizers
$52.8
$128.0
$52.3
$48.3
$108.5
Antisera, vaccines and human blood
$17.2
$37.5
$31.2
$42.4
$107.2
Others
$6,702.4
$7,955.0
$6,110.1
$7,175.3
$8,369.1
Total
$12,947.2
$15,372.0
$11,395.1
$13,569.6
$16,215.9
Soy
25 main importation origin
US Million
Country
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
United States
54%
$5,030.8
$6,184.9
$4,801.9
$6,368.0
$7,745.3
China
70%
$763.3
$887.5
$711.8
$989.1
$1,297.5
Mexico
$736.5
$950.3
$72.8
$894.4
$1,091.1
Japan
$731.6
$818.6
$602.2
$496.3
$548.5
Colombia
$307.7
$402.9
$315.2
$500.3
$455.6
Guatemala
$247.1
$299.5
$276.8
$323.3
$383.7
Brazil
$419.5
$425.1
$267.0
$294.1
$335.0
Germany
$203.4
$271.2
$202.8
$308.1
$325.8
Panama
$223.8
$242.4
$216.3
$233.5
$289.4
Chile
$183.8
$207.2
$172.6
$219.1
$257.9
South Korea
$250.9
$280.8
$140.7
$148.2
$218.3
El Salvador
$132.1
$151.2
$120.3
$152.4
$196.4
Canada
$117.0
$160.0
$103.5
$115.4
$180.4
Spain
$140.6
$149.0
$112.8
$144.9
$176.6
25 main importation origin
US Million
Country
Italy
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
$138.8
$147.5
$104.0
$142.7
$166.2
Honduras
$69.4
$90.1
$82.5
$109.3
$139.0
India
$40.2
$50.1
$47.4
$107.5
$132.8
Nicaragua
$93.0
$106.2
$85.2
$89.8
$121.9
$104.8
$139.2
$126.0
$133.5
$117.2
$30.8
$43.4
$137.8
$112.4
$103.2
$104.7
$118.6
$72.9
$99.1
$102.1
$67.9
$51.7
$59.6
$162.4
$98.6
Taiwan
$162.3
$143.8
$89.4
$87.0
$91.9
Belgium
$67.8
$82.7
$59.6
$65.3
$88.0
$189.3
$258.4
$133.3
$83.0
$86.3
Others
$2,390.3
$2,709.4
$1,611.1
$1,190.4
$1,467.6
Total
$12,947.2
$15,372.0
$11,395.1
$13,569.6
$16,215.9
Switzerland
Israel
United Kingdom
Trinidad and Tobago
Netherland
Costa Rica - Exports
5,000,000.00
4,500,000.00
4,000,000.00
3,500,000.00
US Million
3,000,000.00
United States
2,500,000.00
China
2,000,000.00
1,500,000.00
1,000,000.00
500,000.00
0.00
2008
2009
2010
2011
Years
Source: www.procomer.com
2012
Costa Rica - Importation
10,000,000.00
9,000,000.00
8,000,000.00
7,000,000.00
6,000,000.00
US Million
United States
5,000,000.00
China
4,000,000.00
3,000,000.00
2,000,000.00
1,000,000.00
0.00
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Years
This information is available on: www.procomer.com
Free trade agreement with China
Free trade agreement with China
• In 2011 China and Costa Rica signed a Free Trade
Agreement.
• 90% of both countries’ products enjoy cero tariff.
• Exports to China have grown an average 28.5% and
imports have grown 29.1% every year from 2000 to
2011.
Free trade agreement with China
Exports
2011: $199.7 million
Products: • Microprocessors
• Sockets
• Plugs and sockets
(outlets)
• Citrus, prepared or
preserved
• Timber
• Copper waste and scrap
• Bovine and equine
leather
• Electrical parts
• Parts of seats
• Aluminum waste and
scrap
Free trade agreement with China
Importation
2011: $1,297.9 million
Products: • Cellular phone parts
• Tricycles and similar
toys
• Routers
• Footwear
•
•
•
•
Computers
Beans
Microchips
Base stations
Free trade agreement with China
Current situation
The Free Trade Agreement began a new era of trade
relations between Costa Rica and China.
Costa Rica is currently working on promoting, identifying
and exploiting opportunities for trade and investment with
this partner.
China’s protected products
•
•
•
•
Textile industry
Light industry
Machinery
Electronics
• Vegetables and
fruits
• Cars
• Chemicals
• Hide and leather
Costa Rica’s protected products
•
•
•
•
Coffee
Pork
Pineapple juice
Frozen orange juice
•
•
•
•
Jam
Fish Powder
Minerals
Hides
China’s protected services
•
•
•
•
Computer
Real estate
Market research
Translation and interpretation
Costa Rica’s protected services
•
•
•
•
•
Telecommunication
Commercial
Construction
Real estate
Distribution
•
•
•
•
Education
Environment
Computers
Tourism
China’s market advantages
• A lot of product options
• Lower prices
• Vast possibilities for product exchange
• Big market for our local products
China’s market limitations
• Reputation of lower quality in some products
• High cost of transportation and internationalization
procedures
• Retailers are not always willing to receive new products
• You must buy large quantities of products
• Risk – new products / new partners
Conclusions
Conclusions
• The United States is Costa Rica’s most important trading
partner.
• Globalization creates rapid changes: new products,
new competitors, new trade possibilities.
• Context and economy will determine outcomes:
economic crisis, consumer behavior, market tendencies.
Conclusions
• China is searching new commercial possibilities in
Latin America and Africa.
• New countries are emerging as a manufacturing
source: Costa Rica’s imports and exports have been
increasing considerably due to the local Intel factory.
Conclusions
Most valuable criteria for international trade:
• Quality
• Price
• Production capacity
• Opportunity of deliverance
• Cost of transportation
• Reputation of the manufacturing
Contact information:
Harold Hütt Herrera
E-mail address: harold.hutt@ucr.ac.cr
Universidad de Costa Rica
Questions and
comments…
Websites: www.comex.go.cr  www.procomer.com