January’s Exports Show Healthy Increase

COSTA Rican exports increased 4.2%in January compared to January 2004,Foreign Trade Minister Manuel Gonzálezsaid Feb. 18.In real terms, this increase represents$20.2 million in additional revenue for atotal of $502.4 million in exports, up from$482.2 million in January 2004. This isthe largest monthly export total in threeyears, according to data from the ForeignTrade Promotion Office (PROCOMER).In a statement from the Foreign TradeMinistry, González said he was satisfiedby “the positive behavior of exports,which grew not just because more wasplaced on the international market, butalso because some products entered newmarkets such as Colombia, Ecuador,Puerto Rico, Canada, Spain, Holland,Morocco and the United Arab Emirates,among others.”PROCOMER manager Martín Zúñigaemphasized the diversity in productsresponsible for the increase as well, fromdiapers to tires to melon.The largest January increases wereseen in the industrial sector (up 5.8%from 2004) and fishing sector (up 5.6%),while the agricultural sector showed practicallyno change.