Producers of organic food in Costa Rica exported to Canada

The country has grown the production of fruits and vegetables organically, facing a more and more demanding with food town balanced.

Costa Rica is a country that has been highly producer of vegetables, fruit and vegetables, high level and of exceptional quality. THE country exported from pejibayes, pineapple, bananas and other foods.

The Canada Food Inspection Agency recently signed an agreement with Costa Rica to allow their products to be exported to that country of North America with all necessary regulations.

The agreement between countries will facilitate the export opportunities for small and medium-sized farmers particularly. This document is the result of a thorough analysis on the part of both countries in certification systems.

Products have been exported from Costa Rica will need to meet certain requirements, among which are: must be accompanied by an organic product certificate of Costa Rica, that it should be produced 100% in the country.

Not only the way of producing them has, but that also they must be properly labeled, with information required by the Canadian Agency.

The agreement aims also to reducing the cost in exports for Costa Rican products; since it allows to delete a series of certifications that were used previously.

"This agreement with Costa Rica eliminates trade barriers to organic producers a more competitive edge," said the Minister of Agriculture of Canada, Gerry Ritz. "Canadian consumers will benefit from having greater access to organic products".

Costa Rica holds a free trade agreement with Canada since 2002 and was updated in last September. According to data of the Ministry of foreign trade, the total exchange between the two countries has increased from $102 million in 2002 to $273 billion in 2011; with a growth of almost 170%.

Posted by Costa Developers

In 2013 San Jose plans the Central American Games

costadevelopers.com

International experts meet to discuss security at the upcoming sporting event.

The Security Commission for the Central American Games meets this week for a second workshop in preparation for security at next year’s Central American Games.

The event, slotted for March 2013, will be the largest multisport tournament ever held in Costa Rica, and will require significant security coordination within San José.

“As we get closer to the start of the games, we are focused on providing tight security for one of the most important aspects of the event,” said Jorge Villalobos, secretary general of the event. “Security plays a fundamental role for the athletes and others participating in this sporting celebration.” 

The workshop’s participants include experts in event security and terrorism prevention from the United Nations, Canada and Nicaragua, among others.  Two of the workshop’s guests, Brian Powrie, from the U.N.’s Inter-regional Crime and Justice Research Institute, and Brendan Heffernan, from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, will stick around for the weekend to observe security at Saturday’s Festival de la Luz.

By the end of the workshop, the commission plans to have six possible security plans, one of which will be selected and implemented a month before the start of the games.

“Our goal is to share our concerns with these security experts for massive international events in order to gain insight into the results of their previous experiences,” said Marcelo Solano, with the Security Commission. “By the end of the seminar we will have something from which to base our suggestions to improve the final national security plan for the games, which we plan to have ready in January, prior to the start of the torch relay.”

The Official Song of San Jose American Games...

 

Posted By Costa Developers

iPhone 5 to arrive in Costa Rica on Dec. 14

www.costadevelopers.com

Apple announced Monday that the iPhone 5 will be available in Costa Rica starting Dec. 14.

The company posted on its website availability dates for the new line of smartphones in more than 50 countries.

The iPhone 5 hit the market on Sept. 12 and is currently distributed in 47 countries, including the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan and the U.K.

The device, made of glass and aluminum, follows the previous model’s (iPhone 4S) design, weighs 112 grams and is 20 percent thinner than the 4S (7.6 mm). Its 4-inch screen has better display technology than its predecessor with a resolution of 1136 x 640.

In the U.S., the iPhone 5 was released at a suggested price of $199 for the 16GB model, $299 for the 32GB model and $399 for the 64GB model.

Costa Rican cellphone operators (Claro, Movistar and ICE) have not disclosed any information on service plans, but the device already has the certification of approval by the Telecommunications Superintendency (SUTEL).

Posted by Costa Developers

Costa Rican exports increase by 8.4 percent in first three quarters of 2012

costadevelopers.com

Most buyers of Tico exports are countries with free trade agreements with Costa Rica.

The value of Costa Rican exports increased by 8.4 percent in the first nine months of this year, totaling $8.5 billion, the Foreign Trade Ministry (COMEX)

Recent figures show consistent growth in exports of free-zone and agricultural products.

According to COMEX, countries with free trade agreements with Costa Rica account for 68 percent of Tico exports so far this year. Costa Rican exports to those countries increased by 8.9 percent in the first three quarters, from $5.2 billion during the same period in 2011 to $5.7 billion this year.

North America (the United States and Canada) is the main destination for Costa Rican exports, accounting for 42.5 percent of total exports (an 8.8 percent increase from 2011). Next is the European Union, with 18.1 percent (a 6.9 percent increase), Central America, with 14 percent (a 6.4 percent increase), and Asia, with 12.8 percent (a 24.6 percent increase).

Central Bank projections show the country is on track to meet – and likely surpass – this year’s export target, estimated at $15.8 billion in goods and services.

Posted by Costa Developers

FREE TRADE AGREEMENT UPDATED

Costa Rica and Canada finished a fifth round of negotiations to modernize a free trade agreement between the two countries.

Costa Rica’s Foreign Trade Ministry expects to complete negotiations by mid-September.
Last week, foreign trade officials from the two governments reached agreements on technical barriers to trade, provisions, objectives, administration of the treaty, financial services, government purchases and customs procedures.

They also completed chapters on cooperative agreements, monopolies and state enterprises, and an agreement on telecommunications and investment is almost ready, pending review.

Issues on market access, tariff elimination for products from free zones, more flexible rules for textiles and Canada’s interest in greater market access for agricultural products are still being discussed.

There are very few pending issues, and our plan is to finish them during a meeting in mid-September.

The free trade agreement between Costa Rica and Canada was implemented in 2002. Since then, total trade between the countries has increased from $102 million to $273 million in 2011, a cumulative increase of 168 percent.

Many Canadians visit Costa Rica by Costa Developers and their work in fractional properties, which for a fraction of the cost; they can come and do business, live or retire in areas of high returns.

Costa Developers

7.4% INCREASED OF TOURISTS TO COSTA RICA IN FIRST HALF OF 2012.

aumento-turistas-costa rica/ costa developers

In June, the Juan Santamaria International Airport reported 80% of arrivals by air.

From January to June over one million 285 thousand tourists entered Costa Rica for all ports. This number is 7.4 percent higher than in the same period last year.

This was announced by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT), based on data provided by the General Depatment of Immigration.

Only by air were reported 856 600 international arrivals, representing growth of 6.2%, in other words, 50 000 more people, most of them through the Juan Santamaria International Airport, although the latter was up only 1.3 percent. The majority of tourists arrive by air.

Tourists from the United States, Canada and Mexico top the list of entries by air. The second block in tourist importance is Europe and the third is South America.

Costa Developers