Costa Rica
Recent data indicates that Costa Rica’s
agricultural sector represents 10 percent of GDP and
employs 12.1 percent of the economically active
population. The agricultural sector is well
diversified and export driven. Current key exports
are: bananas ($660 million); pineapples ($485
million); coffee ($253 million); melons ($82
million); ornamental plants ($80 million); and ferns
($71 million). With the exception of rice and beans,
Costa Rica does not produce bulk commodities and
relies upon imports to satisfy 100 percent of
consumption of wheat, yellow corn, and soybeans in
the milling, crushing, chicken, pork, and dairy
industries. In FY 2008, U.S. agricultural, fish and
forest product exports to Costa Rica totaled over
$630 million. Costa Rican agricultural, fish and
forest product imports to the United States in FY
2008 totaled over $1.28 billion. Costa Rica
officially entered the Dominican Republic-Central
America Free Trade Agreement on January 1, 2009.
Population: 4.2 million
GDP: $11,100
Agriculture: 10% of GDP
Agriculture Production:
coffee, pineapples,
sugar cane, bananas and citrus
Major Agricultural Exports:
bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons,
ornamental plants and ferns
Major U.S. Agricultural Exports to Costa Rica:
coarse grains, wheat, rice,
soybeans, feeds & fodders and snack foods
Economic, Political,
and Demographic Information
