Announcement comes on 14th anniversary of Free Trade Agreement between the two nations
China has officially approved imports of Costa Rica melons. Signing the new export protocol on Thursday, China’s ambassador to Costa Rica, Wang Xiaoyao, called it a “true milestone” for friendship and trade ties between the two countries.
“Together, China and Costa Rica move forward hand in hand toward a brighter shared future,” Wang said.
The announcement came on the 14th anniversary of the entry into force of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Costa Rica and China. Since then, Costa Rican exports to China have grown by 965 per cent. However, this growth has been insufficient to reduce the enormous trade deficit that the Central American country faces with the world’s second-largest economy.
By the end of 2023, the value of Costa Rica’s exports to China reached US$402.7mn, while imports from that country totalled US$3.393bn, according to data from trade promotion agency Procomer.
Trade relations between Costa Rica and China began to strengthen in the 1990s and accelerated after the Asian country joined the World Trade Organisation in 2001. The signing of the melon protocol represents a new chapter in the access of Costa Rican agricultural products to one of the largest and most demanding markets on the planet.
