The Republic of Costa Rica is a Central American country, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and the Caribbean Sea to the east. It also includes Cocos Island, located in the Pacific Ocean. Costa Rica covers 51,060 sq.kms and has a population of around 4.9 million inhabitants, for a GDP of US$58.91 billion (source: FMI, 2016).
Costa Rica’s economy is dependent on tourism (two million visitors a year), agriculture and the high-tech industry, particularly for its exports. Currently, the country’s income is mainly generated by exports of traditional agricultural products, such as bananas, coffee, sugar, cocoa and pineapples. Costa Rica is the 79th biggest exporter in the world. It mainly exports medical instruments, bananas, tropical fruits, orthopedic appliances and integrated circuits, while imports are concentrated on refined petroleum, automobiles, medicinal products, broadcasting equipment and other medical devices. Its main trading partners are the United States, the Netherlands, Panama, Belgium and Nicaragua.
France is Costa Rica’s 5th biggest European supplier behind Germany, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands. Nearly 22 French subsidiaries are located in Costa Rica, including major CAC40 groups, investing in infrastructure (bridges, public transport, water and waste, etc.), renewable energies, agri-food, the medical sector, value-added services and consumer products (including franchises).
In order to meet the needs of its customers on the Costa Rican market, Simon Associés has developed privileged relations with economic and legal partners locally.
