COSTA RICA · TRADE
Key Facts
- The country Costa Rica is a Central American nation of about 5 million people, known for coffee, tourism and close trade ties with the United States.
- What happened Costa Rica imported US$66.4 million of dairy goods from the United States from January to August 2026, a rise of 69% in two years.
- The main product Cheese makes up 75% of the value, at US$49.8 million, and mozzarella is nearly two of every three kilograms of imported cheese.
- Volume US dairy imports grew 64% by weight, from 7,404 tonnes to 12,154 tonnes, over the same two years.
- Why now Dairy goods have entered Costa Rica duty-free under the DR-CAFTA free trade pact since 1 January 2025.
- Who is worried Costa Rica’s national dairy producers’ chamber says small and mid-sized cheese plants are losing sales.
- Power Index Costa Rica ranks 9th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 36.5 points (October 2026 edition).
US dairy imports into Costa Rica reached US$66.4 million from January to August 2026, a 69% jump on the same months of 2024. The figures come from trade promotion agency Procomer and were published on Wednesday 21 October by La Nación.
For American farmers and cheese makers, this is a rare growth market on their doorstep, with mozzarella leading the way. For Costa Rican milk producers, it is a warning that cheaper imported cheese is already pushing local product off shelves.
What the Procomer Numbers Show
US dairy sales to Costa Rica rose from US$39.3 million in January to August 2024 to US$66.4 million in the same months of 2026. Volume climbed 64%, from 7,404 tonnes to 12,154 tonnes.
Cheese accounts for 75% of the value, with imports up 65% from US$30.1 million to US$49.8 million. By weight, cheese rose 66%, from 4,982 tonnes to 8,289 tonnes.
Mozzarella, Butter and Concentrated Milk
Mozzarella makes up nearly two of every three kilograms of imported cheese, mostly from the United States, and supplies pizzerias, restaurants and food services. Ivannia Quesada, president of Costa Rica’s national dairy producers’ chamber, said the surge has sharply increased competition for local cheese makers.
Butter imports reached US$5.11 million, up from 30 tonnes in 2024 to 890 tonnes in 2026. Concentrated milk reached US$5.14 million, up from 265 tonnes to 1,319 tonnes, and together the two products are 15% of the value analysed.
Why Costa Rican Producers Are Alarmed
Quesada said small and medium processing plants are hit hardest, with some producers seeing less milk collected and some industries pausing purchases. She said rising US dairy imports have pressured the ability to sell Costa Rican milk.
Carmen Alfaro Rodríguez, a dairy producer from Zarcero, said one plant is holding about 30,000 kilograms of unsold salted cheese. She put the loss at more than ¢100 million (about US$220,000 at roughly 454 colones to the US dollar) and blamed imported cheese.
How a Free Trade Pact Opened the Door
Costa Rica joined DR-CAFTA, the free trade pact between the United States, Central America and the Dominican Republic, on 1 January 2009. Sensitive dairy products had a long phase-out, and since 1 January 2025 they enter Costa Rica at a 0% tariff.
In May 2025, the US Department of Agriculture announced that Costa Rica had approved the first US dairy plant under a faster registration process. The agriculture ministry said inspections were strengthened, while the dairy chamber said it had not been consulted, as El Observador reported.
Dos Pinos and the Consumer View
Cooperativa Dos Pinos, Costa Rica’s largest dairy co-operative, collects about 1.3 million litres of milk a day and sells more than 900 products. It declined to comment on imports, but its director of corporate relations, Marina Rodríguez Aymerich, said cheese faces some of the strongest competitive pressure.
Erick Ulate, head of the consumer group Asociación de Consumidores Libres, called the import growth positive because it widens choice. He noted that imported goods must still meet national health rules and technical standards.
What It Means for US Readers
For US dairy exporters, Costa Rica is a growing outlet, and sales of mozzarella, butter and concentrated milk are rising fastest. For American investors in food and agriculture, the rise shows how quickly a tariff-free market can reorder an industry.
US visitors will see more imported cheese on Costa Rican pizza menus and shelves, while pressure on local farms may fuel calls for safeguards. Costa Rica’s own exports face a 12.5% US tariff, as earlier coverage reported in August.
What Is Not Known
No national count of lost dairy farms or processing jobs has been given, only producers’ accounts of pressure. The Senasa animal health service had authorized 43 US plants as of January, and no updated figure was available on Wednesday.
The government has not announced any safeguard, quota or support plan for local dairy farmers. It is also unclear whether US dairy imports will keep this pace through the rest of 2026.
More: Costa Rica news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much dairy did Costa Rica import from the United States in 2026?
US dairy imports into Costa Rica totalled US$66.4 million from January to August 2026. That is 69% more than in the same months of 2024.
Which US dairy product does Costa Rica buy most?
Cheese is the largest, at US$49.8 million or 75% of the value. Mozzarella makes up nearly two of every three kilograms of imported cheese.
Why are Costa Rican dairy farmers worried?
They say US dairy imports of cheese, butter and concentrated milk compete with local products and reduce what plants will buy. Small and mid-sized processors are hit hardest, according to the national dairy producers’ chamber.
What is DR-CAFTA?
DR-CAFTA is a free trade agreement between the United States, five Central American countries and the Dominican Republic. It took effect for Costa Rica on 1 January 2009.
Is imported dairy cheaper for Costa Rican consumers?
Consumer group leader Erick Ulate says more imports give shoppers more choice. The article’s figures do not show shelf prices, so the size of any saving is not clear.
Sources: La Nación (Costa Rica), dairy imports from the United States, Procomer data, 21 October 2026; El Observador (Costa Rica), Costa Rica opens dairy market to the US, 31 May 2025.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief