Costa Rican pineapple exports have fallen by 11 per cent on last year as the global recession continues to bite into trade.

According to the Foreign Trade Promotion Office (Procomer), exports have generated $7.98 billion (£5bn) in sales this year, which is $998 million less than January to November, 2008

But the market began to show small signs of recovery as exports in November were 2.8 per cent greater than a year earlier.

Last year, Costa Rican export revenues topped $9.5bn, representing the highest amount generated by exports in the country's history, reports the Tico Times.

Emmanuel Hess, the general manager of Procomer, said: “These results regarding national exports are evidence that the demand of local goods and services has improved during the second half of the year in the principal export markets.”

Procomer stats show the industrial sector accounts for 76 per cent of export revenue, followed by the agriculture sector (21 per cent).

The biggest demand for Costa Rican goods and services remains in the US, which accounts for 38.6 per cent of all local exports. Asia and the EU each receive more than 17 per cent of the total Costa Rican export market.

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