"Micro trading" on Social Networks

In Costa Rica, the retail sector guild estimates the monthly value of illicit trade generated through social networks such as Facebook at $8.5 million.

Friday, December 20, 2019

From the Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce statement:

San José, Wednesday, December 18, 2019. The illicit market in social networks reaches an inventory value of at least 5.1 billion colones per month ($8.5 million). The products most traded by this methodology are clothing, cosmetics and cleaning products and cell phones. In addition, the prices of these items range from 1,200 to 700,000 colones, according to the latest study by the Observatory of Illicit Trade (OBCI) of the Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce.

This study was carried out as part of the work of the Observatory, whose objective is to generate relevant information for the formulation of public policies and actions to combat any form of illegal trade in Costa Rica, through the active participation of the affected sectors and the competent public entities.

"The promotion of formal trade and the fight against illicit trade have been pillars of the Chamber of Commerce since its foundation in 1915". The commercial sector is the most affected by smuggling, so in order to promote solutions, the Chamber, through the OBCI, is generating information that will help make this problem visible and articulate efforts with the public sector to combat and reduce it," said Yolanda Fernández Ochoa, president of the Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce.

Read full press release in spanish.

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