Foreign Trade: Costa Rica Lifts Restrictions

As of September 24, the country's importing and exporting companies may accept land freight carriers at their facilities without prior authorization.

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

With the purpose of reducing the spread of the covid-19, in mid-May the government decided that only carriers with direct transit from border to border would enter Costa Rican territory.

Three months later the authorities have decided to lift most of the restrictions, as they also announced that as of September 29, operations to hook, unhook and relieve drivers in the primary customs areas will be lifted.

Duayner Salas, interim Minister of Commerce, told Crhoy.com that with these modifications "... all import and export companies and fiscal warehouses will be able to receive international land transporters to load and unload merchandise in their facilities without prior authorization, in strict compliance with the sanitary guidelines issued for such purpose by the Ministry of Health."

Ensuring that the transporter does not present symptoms related to covid-19 disease and that he complies with the established traceability requirements are some of the requirements for cargo transport units to load and unload in the companies' facilities.

Salas added that updating the measures responds "... to the national epidemiological situation and is consistent with the management model that seeks to balance health and economic recovery."

Check out the "System for monitoring markets and economic situation in Central American countries", developed by CentralAmericaData.

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