#San Jose #Costa Rica #Global Business #Trade Summit

Costa Rica Trade & Investment Summit 2025: A New Chapter in Business

This week, San José, Costa Rica, plays host to the Costa Rica Trade & Investment Summit 2025, a premier event designed to unite key players in international trade and investment. Hosted by the Promotora de Comercio Exterior de Costa Rica (PROCOMER), this summit symbolizes a significant advancement in the country’s strategy to attract foreign investment and promote exports. For the first time, the summit combines both export and foreign direct investment initiatives under one roof.

During the event, which spans five days, over 1,000 Costa Rican businesses and multinational corporations will engage with 400 international buyers and investors from 45 countries. A staggering 3,700 business meetings, investment rounds, site visits to industrial parks, and networking opportunities will take place.

Laura López, the General Director of PROCOMER, remarks, "This event showcases Costa Rica's readiness to compete and take the lead. We've created a venue to attract investment projects that foster connections, create jobs, and promote sustainability, all while enhancing our export offerings to demanding markets. This represents a new vision for country promotion: ambitious, strategic, and future-oriented."

This summit progresses from the historical Buyers Trade Mission (BTM), a gathering that has successfully interconnected thousands of Costa Rican exporters with international buyers for over 25 years. Today, the Costa Rica Trade & Investment Summit offers a more comprehensive and dynamic format, focusing on both export promotion and foreign direct investment, showcasing an integrated platform for dialogue and collaboration.

The opening ceremony was attended by prominent figures such as Manuel Tovar, Minister of Foreign Trade, and Laura López, alongside international delegations and industry representatives. Participants hail from significant markets, including Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, the United States, Canada, Mexico, and several Latin American countries.

The academic program features speeches from global leaders, including Didi Caldwell from Global Location Strategies discussing economic forces and their implications for foreign direct investment, Katie McGinty from Johnson Controls on the potential of smart buildings for sustainable growth, and Henry Loewendahl from Wavteq discussing the future of work. Notably, María Carolina Pinheiro from Wyndham Hotels will speak about strategies for engaging with the tourism investment segment.

In recent developments, Costa Rica's goods exports reached a total of $13.148 billion in July 2025, marking a 17% increase from the previous year. The growth is primarily driven by precision instruments and medical devices, which account for 48% of total exports, followed by the agriculture sector at 17% and the food sector at 12%.

The country is now home to over 1,000 multinational companies operating in strategic sectors such as medical technology, business services, advanced manufacturing, and digital technologies. Furthermore, Costa Rica has solidified its role as a reliable supplier of high-quality food products, being the world’s leading exporter of pineapples, the third-largest exporter of bananas, and the top exporter of cassava to both the United States and the EU.

In terms of foreign direct investments, Costa Rica stands out for its high reinvestment of profits and continued growth of projects outside the metropolitan area. In 2024, total foreign direct investment surpassed $5.008 billion, reflecting a 32% increase compared to 2023, with the United States, Colombia, Switzerland, Mexico, and France being the primary sources of capital.

“The Costa Rica Trade & Investment Summit represents a commitment to building long-term relationships and unlocking new opportunities for our regions,” states Laura López. “This platform has been created to endure and evolve with the demands of the global landscape."

This unprecedented gathering encapsulates Costa Rica's ambition to position itself as a pivotal player in global trade dynamics, ultimately contributing to sustainable economic growth in the region.