Canada-Costa Rica Relations

Fact Sheet: General country information, political and economic data.

Beginning of Diplomatic Relations

Canada opened its first embassy in San José in 1961. The Embassy of Canada in Costa Rica manages Canada's relations not only with Costa Rica but also with Honduras and Nicaragua.

Bilateral relations between Canada and Costa Rica flourished throughout the 1990s, and they continue to broaden in scope. Our bilateral free trade agreement stands as a model for economic cooperation between a developed and a developing country. Today, growing two-way trade and innovative environmental programs are major catalysts in a relationship that is also marked by close cooperation and shared views on multilateral issues.

Key Issues

• Humans Rights:
  Canada continues to work closely with Costa Rica to promote human rights around the world. Costa Rica is home to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

• Canada-Costa Rica Free Trade Agreement (CCRFTA):
  Canada and Costa Rica have strong and growing commercial relations. The entry into force of the CCRFTA in November 2002 was a very positive development in the relationship. Parallel agreements on environment and labour cooperation were also signed at that time. One of the main objectives of the CCRFTA is to create opportunities for economic development in Costa Rica.

Trade and Investment

Canada and Costa Rica have enjoyed solid commercial relations since 1950. In April 2002, the two countries signed the CCRFTA, which entered into force on November 1 of that year. The negotiations encompassed several areas of interest to Canada, including market access for goods, trade facilitation and competition policy. The CCRFTA is the first bilateral free trade agreement to contain innovative stand-alone provisions on trade facilitation. Canadian exporters to Costa Rica will benefit from simpler and more modern border-related requirements, procedures and formalities. Since implementation of the agreement, two-way trade between Canada and Costa Rica has grown by 12%.

For 2002, total two-way trade between the two countries is estimated at $323.7 million, as reported by Statistics Canada. However, Canadian exports to Costa Rica are generally under-reported because many imports and exports pass through U.S. ports of entry and count as U.S. trade.

Visit the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service's Costa Rica Web page for sectoral market studies and country-specific reports.

Canadian exporters to Costa Rica have access to the services of Export Development Canada (EDC); insurance for receivables is available on a case-by-case basis. In addition, investors in both countries benefit from a bilateral Foreign Investment Protection Agreement.

Indigenous Relations

Learn more about the Aboriginal dimension of Canada's relations with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Development Assistance

CIDA supports projects in the Americas and around the world that are eligible for Canadian aid through development cooperation initiatives.

April 2005