The dynamic Costa Rican retail sector reflects the country's growing economy and increasing demand for new products. Consumers are influenced by tourism, culinary trends, and social media, with higher-end consumers paying premiums for healthy products and environmentally sustainable packaging.
Outside the Greater Metropolitan Area, retail stores tend to be smaller, but a growing number of retailers in high-tourism areas are expanding their imported product portfolios in response to the fast-growing holiday rental segment of the tourism sector. In 2023, U.S. exports of consumer-oriented products reached a record-high level of $462 million.
Costa Rica is a middle-income country, with a $78 billion GDP in 2023. The United Sates is Costa Rica's largest trading partner and largest foreign direct investor. Costa Rican consumers trust and enjoy U.S. food and beverage products, exports of and demand for which have increased since the 2009 entry into force of the Dominican Republic - Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). Proximity to the United States is a major advantage for shipping times and for U.S. exporters' ability to develop and service customer relationships. Costa Rica ranked 23rd among U.S. agricultural export markets in 2023, with U.S. agricultural and related product exports to Costa Rica surpassing $1 billion.
Consumer-oriented product imports
In 2023, nearly all U.S. agricultural products entered Costa Rica tariff-free under CAFTA-DR, while sensitive categories (including dairy and rice) were subject to tariff rate quotas (TRQs). Strong prospects for U.S. consumer-oriented products helped push U.S. category exports up 11 percent to a record high of $462 million in 2023.
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Source: apps.fas.usda.gov