Although several companies have been affected by the measures implemented by governments in the context of the Covid-19 crisis, Costa Rican exports of coffee, pineapple and bananas have so far not faced difficulties with logistics.
Directors of the Coffee Institute of Costa Rica (Icafé) indicated that so far there have been no problems with the availability of containers and that sales abroad are proceeding normally.
Last year, the main regional crop sold abroad was coffee, with $2.671 million, followed by banana, with $2.594 million, pineapple, with $1.097 million and sugar, with $722 million.
Data from the Trade Intelligence Unit at CentralamericaData:
The main coffee export destinations were the U.S., Germany, Belgium, Italy, Japan and Canada, which together represent 70% of the volume exported by the region, equivalent to approximately $2,050 million. [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with the graphic"]
An activity that generates nearly $1 billion a year in Costa Rica in exports is being seriously threatened by the infiltration of drug traffickers, who are taking advantage of loopholes left open by the government because it does not have an adequate system for checking containers and registering exporters.
The most recent seizure of 45 kilos of drugs that arrived in the United States in the corrugated bottom of 20 cardboard boxes of pineapples from San Carlos has once again set alarm bells ringing in the export sector, which has ceaselessly demanded that authorities to go back to the "in situ" review system of cargo, which used to be carried out before and stopped during the Solís administration.
In the first quarter of the year, countries in the region exported $261 million worth of pineapples, 18% more than in the same period in 2017, mainly explained by sales to the United States and the Netherlands.
Figures from the Information System on the Pineapple Market in Central America, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with graph"]
In the first three months of the year, pineapple exports from Costa Rica totaled $245 million, 18% more than was sold during the same period last year.
Figures from the information system on the Pineapple Market in Costa Rica, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with graph"]
Last year the region exported more than $1 billion worth of pineapples abroad, 8% more than in 2016, and 50% of exports went to the United States.
Figures from the information system on the the Pineapple Market in Central America, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with graph"]
Between January and June 2017 the region exported $514 million worth of pineapples, 8% more than was sold during the same period in 2016.
Figures from the information system on the the Pineapple Market in Central America, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with the graph"]
In the last ten years, exports from Costa Rica to countries in the European Union grew from $840 million in 2007, to $1.678 billion in the third quarter of this year.
Medical devices, bananas, pineapples, and coffee are some of the products responsible for most of the growth in exports to European countries in recent years. For example, as of September of this year, Procomer figures indicate that "... the European Continent represented 22% of sales this third quarter, with a total of US $1.753 billion (+ US $146 million). Among the main drivers, were: banana, with exports to Belgium, the United Kingdom and Ukraine; medical devices, which boosted exports to Belgium and the Netherlands; as well as greater exports of pineapples to Portugal and coffee to the Netherlands." See "Costa Rica: Foreign trade figures as of September 2017"
In 2016, bananas were the agricultural product that generated the most export revenue in Central America, with sales of $2.4 billion, corresponding to 5.7 million tons.
Data from the interactive system Monitoring of Crops in Central America, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with the graphic"]
Upala Agrícola, Productos Agropecuarios Visa, Piñales del Caribe and Agrícola Agromonte exported the first 15 thousand boxes of MD2 pineapples to Shanghai.
The company Goodfarmer, one of the biggest distributors in China, will be in charge of selling the 9 containers containing 15,120 boxes of the MD2 variety.
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.
In the last ten years, exports of bananas, concentrated fruit juices and coffee and seen a reduction in their share of the world market.
From the executive summary of the report entitled "Analysis of the dynamism of goods exported from Costa Rica: Evolution over the last decade" by State of the Nation:
"...In recent years, Costa Rica has experienced a slowdown in export growth and it is important to know the reasons for this slower growth, in order to take measures to reverse some weaknesses, in order for foreign sales to continue boosting the country's growth . In the analysis the following factors have been identified as explanations for the slowdown in exports:
The required health and phytosanitary protocols were signed in order to authorize the export of tuna, fresh pineapple and prawns.
From a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Trade:
San Jose, September 29, 2015. As part of the visit by Minister Zhi Shuping, maximum chief of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the PRC (AQSIQ) required health and phytosanitary protocols were signed, authorizing the export of tuna and fresh pineapple from Costa Rica to China, and negotiations for the entry of Costa Rican shrimp to that market were concluded.
Costs will increase for exporters because of attempts to prevent their containers of fruits, tubers and ornamental plants exported to Europe from being used to transport drugs.
In Europe seizures of drugs hidden in Costa Rican agricultural exports have concerned the agro-export sector, which is demanding greater security controls and processes in shipping goods overseas, both for the measures carried out in the country as well as those carried out once borders have been crossed, explained industry representatives.
In the first four months of 2011, the equivalent of $665.9 million in pineapples have been sold overseas.
After twelve years of being in first place in sales from Costa Rica to the rest of the world, the banana has lost its top position, after pineapples grew 4.5% in May compared to the same month last year.
The increase in global demand and the number of hectares planted in the country are two of the main reasons behind the strong growth.