No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsBusinessChina helps boost Costa Rica’s beef exports

China helps boost Costa Rica’s beef exports

Exports of Costa Rican beef to China increased by more than 700 percent in one year, according Leonardo Murillo, a livestock research coordinator at the Costa Rican Cattle Corporation (CORFOGA) .

From January to November 2013, the country exported $1.1 million in beef to the Asian country. During the same period in 2014, China bought $9.3 million, an increase of 707 percent, according to a CORFOGA report released this week.

Costa Rica and China signed a Free Trade Agreement in 2010. China approved the entry of Tico beef in April 2012.

CORFOGA Executive Director Luis Diego Obando said the increase in sales is due to efforts by the livestock sector to meet quality standards for imported meat, as requested by China’s government.

“The outlook is even more positive, because recent high prices in international markets caused the total value of exports from Costa Rica to increse by 31.3 percent last year,” Obando said. “This doesn’t mean we’ll be complacent, as our sector is constantly looking for ways to increase sales and to help other local companies achieve certification to enter China’s market.”

The United States remains the largest buyer of Costa Rican beef, and sales to that country increased by more than 50 percent in 2014, according to the Foreign Trade Ministry.

Other major buyers of Tico meat are: Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Jamaica, Honduras and Aruba. The seven countries accounted for 85 percent of Costa Rica’s total meat sales last year. El Salvador and Jamaica, however, decreased meat imports from Costa Rica in 2014.

The increase in sales allowed for a positive trade balance for beef. In addition to increases in exports, meat imports decreased by 8.2 percent, from 4,175 tons in 2013 to 3,831 tons in 2014.

Trending Now

Guns N’ Roses Kicks Off Latin Tour in Costa Rica at National Stadium

Rock fans across the country gear up for a night of hard-hitting music as Guns N’ Roses performs at the Estadio Nacional this evening....

Costa Rica TSE Seeks to Lift President Chaves Immunity

Costa Rica's electoral tribunal has stepped up pressure on President Rodrigo Chaves by asking lawmakers to strip his immunity over claims of political interference...

Learning Spanish Through Music in Costa Rica: Misheard Lyrics and Wins

One of the most challenging parts of learning a language is understanding songs in that language. In my early days of learning Spanish, I...

Costa Rica Traffic Accidents Drive Up Insurance Premiums

Costa Rica's roads have turned into a deadly trap, with traffic accidents claiming more lives and causing more injuries than ever before. On Friday,...

Emmy-winning Salvadoran Journalist Deported from US

Salvadoran journalist Mario Guevara said Friday he was deported from the United States for reporting on the unjust arrests of migrants under President Donald...

Costa Rica Landslide Tragedy as Family Buried Alive

Heavy rains triggered a deadly landslide in Piedades Sur, San Ramón, Alajuela, late Saturday night, burying a family home and killing two adults and...
L. Arias
L. Arias
Reporter | The Tico Times |
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica