# Costa Rica Export Playbook for North America

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> Yugalinks regional export playbook

Compare buyer markets, access conditions, and calculated product opportunities in North America. Use this guide to prioritize research, not to treat calculated indicators as guaranteed sales.

## Navigation

- [Yugalinks home](https://www.yugalinks.com/)
- [Trade data](https://www.yugalinks.com/trade/)
- [Open country workspace](https://www.yugalinks.com/app/countries)
- [Data sources](https://www.yugalinks.com/data-sources)
- [Methodology](https://www.yugalinks.com/methodology)

## Overview

- Exporter: Costa Rica (CRI)
- Region: North America
- Latest trade year: 2024
- Buyer markets: 3
- Calculated three-year opportunity: $1.3T
- Reported FTA markets: 3
- Average reported distance: 3,091 km
- Average business entry indicator: 5 days

## Market comparison

| Market | ISO3 | Opportunity | Products | FTA | Distance | Entry days | Top product |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | --- | ---: | ---: | --- |
| USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands | USA | $1.0T | 266 | Reported | 3,565 km | 4 | Telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks |
| Mexico | MEX | $206.7B | 75 | Reported | 1,933 km | 8 | Product not reported |
| Canada | CAN | $92.8B | 35 | Reported | 3,774 km | 2 | Product not reported |

## Product and market opportunities

| Rank | Market | Product | Opportunity | Buyer growth | Current share |
| ---: | --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| 1 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA) | HS 851712 - Telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks | $53.8B | +11.8% | +0.0% |
| 2 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA) | HS 847150 - Digital processing units: other than those of subheadings 8471.41 or 8471.49, whether or not containing in the same housing one or two of the following types of unit: storage units, input units or output units | $45.6B | +11.1% | +0.0% |
| 3 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA) | HS 847130 - Data processing machines: portable, digital and automatic, weighing not more than 10kg, consisting of at least a central processing unit, a keyboard and a display | $33.3B | +3.8% | +0.0% |
| 4 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA) | HS 870323 - Vehicles: spark-ignition internal combustion reciprocating piston engine, cylinder capacity exceeding 1500cc but not exceeding 3000cc | $28.7B | +3.9% | +0.0% |
| 5 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA) | HS 870431 - Vehicles: spark-ignition internal combustion piston engine, for transport of goods, (of a g.v.w. not exceeding 5 tonnes), nes in item no 8704.1 | $27.8B | +4.3% | +0.0% |
| 6 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA) | HS 847180 - Data processing machines: automatic, units thereof n.e.s. in heading no. 8471 | $25.8B | +9.4% | +0.0% |
| 7 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA) | HS 850760 - Electric accumulators: lithium-ion, including separators, whether or not rectangular (including square) | $25.0B | +16.4% | +0.0% |
| 8 | Mexico (MEX) | HS 271012 - Product description unavailable | $20.7B | +12.7% | +0.0% |
| 9 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA) | HS 711590 - Metal: precious or metal clad with precious metal, other than that of item no. 7115.10 | $20.2B | +21.5% | +0.0% |
| 10 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA) | HS 300490 - Medicaments: consisting of mixed or unmixed products n.e.s. in heading no. 3004, for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, packaged for retail sale | $19.0B | +14.0% | +0.0% |
| 11 | Mexico (MEX) | HS 271019 - Product description unavailable | $18.4B | +12.8% | +0.0% |
| 12 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA) | HS 870340 - Vehicles: with both spark-ignition internal combustion piston engine and electric motor for propulsion, incapable of being charged by plugging to external source of electric power | $18.2B | +30.3% | +0.0% |
| 13 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA) | HS 851762 - Communication apparatus (excluding telephone sets or base stations): machines for the reception, conversion and transmission or regeneration of voice, images or other data, including switching and routing apparatus | $16.3B | +14.1% | +0.0% |
| 14 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA) | HS 870380 - Vehicles: with only electric motor for propulsion | $16.0B | +39.1% | +0.0% |
| 15 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA) | HS 870322 - Vehicles: with only spark-ignition internal combustion piston engine, cylinder capacity over 1000 but not over 1500cc | $14.6B | +6.4% | +0.0% |
| 16 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA) | HS 847330 - Machines: parts and accessories of automatic data processing, magnetic or optical readers, digital processing units | $14.3B | +1.2% | +0.0% |
| 17 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA) | HS 950300 - Tricycles, scooters, pedal cars and similar wheeled toys: dolls' carriages: dolls: other toys: reduced-size (scale) models and similar recreational models, working or not: puzzles of all kinds | $13.8B | +3.8% | +0.0% |
| 18 | Mexico (MEX) | HS 851712 - Telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks | $13.5B | +16.9% | +0.0% |
| 19 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA) | HS 854430 - Insulated electric conductors: ignition wiring sets and other wiring sets of a kind used in vehicles, aircraft or ships | $11.8B | +5.8% | +0.0% |
| 20 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA) | HS 870120 - Tractors: road, for semi-trailers | $11.4B | +6.4% | +0.0% |

## Sector opportunities

| Sector | Products | Reported buyer imports | Opportunity | Average growth |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| HS2 85 - HS2 sector 85 | 73 | $480.7B | $287.9B | +9.2% |
| HS2 84 - HS2 sector 84 | 62 | $410.2B | $253.0B | +8.1% |
| HS2 87 - HS2 sector 87 | 41 | $422.0B | $237.5B | +8.9% |
| HS2 00 - HS2 sector 00 | 6 | $102.7B | $70.8B | +10.1% |
| HS2 71 - HS2 sector 71 | 10 | $95.4B | $55.0B | +10.3% |
| HS2 30 - HS2 sector 30 | 10 | $120.8B | $38.9B | +11.7% |
| HS2 94 - HS2 sector 94 | 14 | $58.8B | $36.4B | +7.5% |
| HS2 39 - HS2 sector 39 | 17 | $48.9B | $33.0B | +7.3% |

## Frequently asked questions

### Should Costa Rica focus on North America?

Use the market ranking as a starting point, then check product fit, buyer requirements, route costs, tariffs, standards, and competitive conditions.

### What does calculated opportunity mean?

It is a screening indicator built from demand and exporter-position signals. It is not a confirmed order, sales forecast, or guarantee of market entry.

### How should exporters use this page?

Prioritize one market and product combination, then validate buyers, compliance, logistics, pricing, and continuity before making a commercial decision.

## Method

Reported trade observations and calculated indicators are shown separately. Validate buyers, tariffs, standards, logistics, pricing, and competition before acting.

Yugalinks presents derived views for research and planning. [Read the full methodology](https://www.yugalinks.com/methodology).

## Data sources

- Primary trade series: OECD (2025), Balanced international merchandise trade statistics (BIMTS) - HS2017-6D, OECD Data Explorer (accessed on 2026-08-30). [OECD Data Explorer](https://data-explorer.oecd.org/) - [OECD Terms & Conditions](https://www.oecd.org/termsandconditions/)
- CEPII BACI bilateral trade flows (202601): [dataset page](https://www.cepii.fr/CEPII/en/bdd_modele/bdd_modele_item.asp?id=37) - [BACI documentation](https://www.cepii.fr/DATA_DOWNLOAD/baci/doc/baci_webpage.html) - [Etalab 2.0 Open Licence](https://www.etalab.gouv.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/open-licence.pdf)

This page presents derived Yugalinks views of reported observations and calculated indicators.