Despite the fact that the Costa Rican pineapple sector has faced complaints of alleged environmental damage, sales abroad have continued to grow, and it remains the number two export product.
Between 2016 and 2017 Costa Rican exports of fruit increased from $905 million to $970 million, which represents an increase of 7%.This rise has occurred in the context of environmental and social complaints, due to the use of agrochemicals and their respective implications.
Pineapple exporters claim to have lost $2.3 million since the authorities started making additional inspections of containers at ports of departure.
Arguing that in April an increased presence of insects was detected in containers of pineapples exported to the United States, the State Phytosanitary Service (SFE) has tightened control measures, which are no longer limited to inspections on farms and packing plants, but also include an extra inspection at ports of departure.
The irreconcilable positions of both countries over phytosanitary measures for the Mexican product form the backdrop to a possible arbitration panel with the world trade body.
Since Costa Rica stopped issuing permits for the entry of Hass avocados from Mexico, for phytosanitary protectionism reasons, (the country argues they are protecting themselves from the disease known as sunspot), neither country has managed to convince the other through technical and political methods to reopen the market.
The US Embassy has asked whether the government will support a moratorium of up to 15 years on the cultivation of genetically modified organisms.
In circumstances where the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Costa Rica (MAG) is taking non-tariff measures to restrict imports that compete with local production, the Office of Trade Representative of the United States Embassy in Costa Rica, sent a letter to Minister of Foreign Trade, expressing concern about the issue, specifically pointing to the Minister of Agriculture as a driver of the moratorium.
The Ministry of Agriculture said no to the possibility of importing potatoes, despite demands made by the industrial sector.
The government argues that in order to opening up markets to potato imports a study would need to be carried out to determine whether there is shortage of the product, and the data of the National Production Council confirms that there is sufficient supply.
Within the Economic Council of Government Luis Guillermo Solís' ministers are divided with some favoring openness to international trade, and others wanting to protect vulnerable sectors.
The Ministry of Foreign Trade, which is in favor of accession, argues that there are free trade agreements with member countries of the Alliance, meaning that they would only be strengthening commercial ties.
The next Minister of Agriculture talks about subsidies to "the others" and "unfair competition", but not about the dramatic differences in productivity between Costa Rican rice producers and those "others".
The appointed Minister of Agriculture, Luis Felipe Arauz, has announced that he will review - in order to extend- the deadline set by the outgoing government to liberalize the price of rice.