Countries

Costa Rica: trade by HS code

  • US$24bnExports 2024
  • US$24bnImports 2024
  • 3,611HS6 · Exports
  • Latin AmericaRegion
  • Costa Rican Colón (CRC)Currency

In 2024, exports from Costa Rica came to US$24bn and imports to US$24bn.

Its main exports were catheters, cannulae and similar (9018.39), other medical and surgical instruments (9018.90) and processors and controllers (ICs) (8542.31).

Its largest customer was the United States and its largest supplier the United States.

In the 12 months to August 2026, the UK imported goods worth £518.4m from Costa Rica (+8% on the year before), above all bananas (other than plantains), pineapples and other medical and surgical instruments, and exported £107.3m to it.

Under Central America, 93% of the UK tariff lines are duty-free for goods from Costa Rica that meet the rules of origin.

Costa Rica and the UK

UK imports£518.4m+8% · last 12 months
UK exports£107.3m+4% · last 12 months
Duty-free access to the UK93%share of tariff lines at 0% under a preference

Agreement or scheme: Central America

What the UK imports from Costa Rica

  1. 0803.90Bananas (other than plantains)£101m
  2. 0804.30Pineapples£73.1m
  3. 9018.90Other medical and surgical instruments£68.2m
  4. 9018.39Catheters, cannulae and similar£65m
  5. 9021.39Other artificial body parts£45.6m
  6. 2009.41Of a Brix value not exceeding 20£19.3m
  7. 9018.19Other electrodiagnostic apparatus£13.6m
  8. 3006.91Ostomy appliances£10.5m
  9. 8542.31Processors and controllers (ICs)£10.2m
  10. 0901.11Green coffee (not decaffeinated)£10.1m

Data up to August 2026 (provisional) · HMRC

Costa Rica and the EU

EU imports€5.6bn-7% · last 12 months
EU exports€1.8bn-4% · last 12 months
Duty-free access to the EU90%share of tariff lines at 0% under a preference

Agreement or scheme: Central America

What the EU imports from Costa Rica

  1. 8542.31Processors and controllers (ICs)€895.6m
  2. 9018.39Catheters, cannulae and similar€891.9m
  3. 0804.30Pineapples€695.6m
  4. 0803.90Bananas (other than plantains)€676.9m
  5. 9018.90Other medical and surgical instruments€628.6m
  6. 9021.39Other artificial body parts€476.1m
  7. 1511.10Crude palm oil€137.7m
  8. 2009.41Of a Brix value not exceeding 20€127.2m
  9. 0901.11Green coffee (not decaffeinated)€112.2m
  10. 9021.90Other orthopaedic and implanted appliances€61.5m

Data up to August 2026 (provisional) · Eurostat Comext

Top exports

  1. 9018.39Catheters, cannulae and similarUS$3bn
  2. 9018.90Other medical and surgical instrumentsUS$3bn
  3. 8542.31Processors and controllers (ICs)US$2bn
  4. 9021.39Other artificial body partsUS$2bn
  5. 0804.30PineapplesUS$2bn
  6. 0803.90Bananas (other than plantains)US$1bn
  7. 2106.90Other food preparationsUS$878m
  8. 9018.19Other electrodiagnostic apparatusUS$610m
  9. 0901.11Green coffee (not decaffeinated)US$427m
  10. 9021.10Orthopaedic and fracture appliancesUS$261m
  11. 8544.49Other electric conductors, up to 1000 VUS$211m
  12. 3002.15Immunological products, dosed or retailUS$187m
  13. 4011.10New car tyresUS$184m
  14. 1511.10Crude palm oilUS$180m
  15. 9021.90Other orthopaedic and implanted appliancesUS$173m
  16. 0714.10Cassava (manioc)US$156m
  17. 2008.99Other prepared or preserved fruitUS$142m
  18. 3926.90Other plastic articlesUS$142m
  19. 9619.00Sanitary pads, tampons and diapersUS$127m
  20. 8473.30Computer parts and accessoriesUS$125m

Top imports

  1. 3004.90Other medicines, dosed or for retail saleUS$539m
  2. 8517.13SmartphonesUS$412m
  3. 9018.39Catheters, cannulae and similarUS$349m
  4. 8703.80Electric cars (battery only)US$331m
  5. 8703.22Petrol cars, 1000-1500 ccUS$326m
  6. 8703.23Petrol cars, 1500-3000 ccUS$318m
  7. 9018.90Other medical and surgical instrumentsUS$300m
  8. 3926.90Other plastic articlesUS$268m
  9. 8704.21Diesel trucks, GVW up to 5 tUS$261m
  10. 1005.90Maize (corn), not for sowingUS$228m
  11. 8471.30Laptops and portable computers (max 10 kg)US$210m
  12. 3002.15Immunological products, dosed or retailUS$190m
  13. 2106.90Other food preparationsUS$152m
  14. 8517.62Network switching and routing equipmentUS$151m
  15. 8542.31Processors and controllers (ICs)US$148m
  16. 7223.00Stainless steel wireUS$147m
  17. 7408.11Refined copper wire over 6 mmUS$147m
  18. 2711.12Liquefied propaneUS$146m
  19. 1006.10Paddy rice (rice in the husk)US$138m
  20. 3917.32Other plastic tubes and hoses (not reinforced)US$137m

Main buyers from Costa Rica

  1. United States US$10bn
  2. Netherlands US$2bn
  3. Belgium US$919m
  4. Guatemala US$916m
  5. Nicaragua US$635m
  6. China US$626m
  7. Malaysia US$542m
  8. Honduras US$510m
  9. Panama US$506m
  10. Singapore US$443m

Main suppliers of Costa Rica

  1. United States US$6bn
  2. China US$4bn
  3. Mexico US$1bn
  4. Guatemala US$568m
  5. Japan US$536m
  6. Brazil US$502m
  7. Germany US$374m
  8. Chile US$312m
  9. Colombia US$257m
  10. El Salvador US$228m

Economy, trade and logistics

Key figures on the size of the economy, its place in world trade and how fast goods cross its borders, from the World Bank and UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Each value shows the year it refers to.

IndicatorValueYear
Economy
Population5.2m2025
GDP (current US$)US$102.9bn2025
GDP per person (current US$)US$19,9702025
Trade in goods and services, % of GDP71%2025
Trade
Share of world goods exports0.1%2025
Share of world goods imports0.1%2025
Products exported (SITC 3-digit groups)2142025
Export concentration index · 0 = exports spread evenly across products, 1 = a single product0.2822025
Average applied tariff, simple mean, all products2.6%2022
Average applied tariff, trade-weighted, all products1.3%2022
Logistics
Logistics Performance Index (LPI) · score from 1 (low) to 5 (high)2.92022
LPI: efficiency of customs and border clearance2.82022
Liner shipping connectivity index · rank 61 in the world87.22026 Q3
Container port throughput (TEU)1.7m2024

Time and cost at the border (2019)

For one shipment of the country's typical traded product, as measured by the World Bank's Doing Business survey in its last edition; the survey has since been discontinued.

IndicatorImportExport
Border compliance (hours)8020
Documentary compliance (hours)2624
Border compliance (US$)US$500US$450
Documentary compliance (US$)US$75US$80

World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0); UNCTADstat (CC BY 3.0 IGO)

Questions and answers

What does Costa Rica export most?

In 2024, its largest export at the six-digit level was catheters, cannulae and similar (HS 9018.39), worth US$3bn.

Does the UK have a trade agreement with Costa Rica?

Yes: goods from Costa Rica can enter at preferential rates under Central America, duty-free on 93% of tariff lines, provided they meet the rules of origin and come with proof of origin.