Editing Costa Rica (section)

=== Trade and foreign investment ===
[[File:Costa Rica Free Trade Agreements.png|thumb|Countries (in blue) which have signed Free Trade Agreements with Costa Rica]]
Costa Rica has free trade agreements with many countries, including the US. There are no significant trade barriers that would affect imports and the country has been lowering its tariffs to other Central American countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.export.gov/article?id=Costa-Rica-Import-Tariffs|title=Costa Rica - Import Tariffs - export.gov|website=www.export.gov|access-date=7 August 2017|archive-date=5 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805023310/https://www.export.gov/article?id=Costa-Rica-Import-Tariffs|url-status=live}}</ref> The country's Free Trade Zones provide incentives for manufacturing and service industries to operate in Costa Rica. In 2015, the zones supported over 82 thousand direct jobs and 43 thousand indirect jobs 2015, and average wages in the FTZ were 1.8 times greater than the average for private enterprise work in the rest of the country.<ref name="ReferenceC">{{cite web |date=23 August 2016 |title=Major Business Success for Costa Rica Free Trade Zones – Costa Rica Star News |url=http://news.co.cr/major-business-success-costa-rica-free-trade-zones/50129/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807193902/http://news.co.cr/major-business-success-costa-rica-free-trade-zones/50129/ |archive-date=7 August 2017 |access-date=7 August 2017}}</ref> In 2016, [[Amazon.com]] for example, had some 3,500 employees in Costa Rica and planned to increase that by 1,500 in 2017, making it an important employer.<ref name="seattletimes.com"/>

The central location provides access to American markets and direct ocean access to Europe and Asia. The most important exports in 2015 (in order of dollar value) were medical instruments, bananas, tropical fruits, integrated circuits, and orthopedic appliances.<ref name="atlas.media.mit.edu">{{cite web|url=http://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/cri/|title=OEC – Costa Rica (CRI) Exports, Imports, and Trade Partners|website=atlas.media.mit.edu|access-date=4 August 2017|archive-date=10 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810120223/http://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/cri/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Total imports in that year were US$15 billion. The most significant products imported in 2015 (in order of dollar value) were refined petroleum, automobiles, packaged medications, broadcasting equipment, and computers. The total exports were US$12.6 billion for a trade deficit of US$2.39 billion in 2015.<ref name="atlas.media.mit.edu"/>

[[File:DirkvdM orosi valley bird.jpg|thumb|A [[Coffee production in Costa Rica|coffee plantation]] in the [[Orosí|Orosí Valley]]]]
Pharmaceuticals, financial outsourcing, software development, and [[ecotourism]] have become the prime industries in Costa Rica's economy. High levels of education among its residents make the country an attractive investment location. Since 1999, tourism earns more foreign exchange than the combined exports of the country's three main [[cash crops]]: bananas and pineapples especially,<ref name="qcostarica.com">{{cite web|url=http://qcostarica.com/costa-ricas-fruits-exports-beyond-pineapples-and-bananas/|title=Costa Rica's Fruits Exports Beyond Pineapples And Bananas|date=16 May 2017|access-date=4 August 2017|archive-date=19 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170619054336/http://qcostarica.com/costa-ricas-fruits-exports-beyond-pineapples-and-bananas/|url-status=live}}</ref> but also other crops, including coffee.<ref name="ICT2006">{{cite web|author=Departamento de Estadísticas ICT|url=http://www.visitcostarica.com/ict/backoffice/treeDoc/files/Anuario%20de%20Turismo%202006%20(VERSION%20FINAL).pdf|title=Anuário Estadísticas de Demanda 2006|publisher=Intituto Costarricense de Turismo|year=2006|language=es|access-date=29 July 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110302194925/http://www.visitcostarica.com/ict/backoffice/treeDoc/files/Anuario%20de%20Turismo%202006%20(VERSION%20FINAL).pdf|archive-date=2 March 2011}} Table 44 and 45</ref> [[Coffee production in Costa Rica|Coffee production]] played a key role in Costa Rica's history and in 2006, was the third cash crop export.<ref name="ICT2006"/> As a small country, Costa Rica now provides under 1% of the world's coffee production.<ref name="cafeimports.com"/> In 2015, the value of coffee exports was US$305.9 million, a small part of the total agricultural exports of US$2.7 billion.<ref name="qcostarica.com"/> Coffee production increased by 13.7% percent in 2015–16, declined by 17.5% in 2016–17 but was expected to increase by about 15% in the subsequent year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gain.fas.usda.gov/Recent%20GAIN%20Publications/Coffee%20Annual_San%20Jose_Costa%20Rica_5-22-2017.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://gain.fas.usda.gov/Recent%20GAIN%20Publications/Coffee%20Annual_San%20Jose_Costa%20Rica_5-22-2017.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |title=Annual report |date=2017 |website=gain.fas.usda.gov}}</ref>

Costa Rica has developed a system of [[Payment for ecosystem services|payments for environmental services]].<ref name="ODI1">Jessica Brown and Neil Bird 2010. [http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/details.asp?id=5049&title=costa-rica-sustainable-resource-management-successfully-tackling-tropical-deforestation Costa Rica sustainable resource management: Successfully tackling tropical deforestation] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514083601/http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/details.asp?id=5049&title=costa-rica-sustainable-resource-management-successfully-tackling-tropical-deforestation|date=14 May 2011}}. London: [[Overseas Development Institute]]</ref> Similarly, Costa Rica has a tax on water pollution to penalize businesses and homeowners that dump sewage, [[agrochemical|agricultural chemicals]], and other pollutants into waterways.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=331428&CategoryId=23558|title= Costa Rica taxing firms that dump wastewater into rivers|publisher= Latin American Herald Tribune|date= 7 April 2007|access-date= 19 May 2012|archive-date= 17 January 2013|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130117025315/http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=331428&CategoryId=23558|url-status= dead}}</ref> In May 2007, the Costa Rican government announced its intentions to become 100% [[carbon neutral]] by 2021.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/007549.html |title=Bright Green: Costa Rica and New Zealand on Path to Carbon Neutrality |work=Worldchanging |access-date=5 May 2011 |date=7 November 2007 |first=Janet L. |last=Sawin |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110504015643/http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/007549.html |archive-date=4 May 2011}}</ref> By 2015, 93 percent of the country's electricity came from [[Renewable energy in Costa Rica|renewable sources]].<ref>{{cite news |title= Costa Rica uses 100 pct. clean energy to generate power for over 90 days |work= EFE |publisher= Fox News Latino |date= 13 August 2015 |url= http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2015/08/13/costa-rica-uses-100-pct-clean-energy-to-generate-power-for-over-0-days/ |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150818071137/http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2015/08/13/costa-rica-uses-100-pct-clean-energy-to-generate-power-for-over-0-days/ |archive-date= 18 August 2015}}</ref> In 2019, the country produced 99.62% of its electricity from renewable sources and ran completely on renewable sources for 300 continuous days.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.intelligentliving.co/costa-ricas-electricity-nearly-100-renewable-energy/|title=Costa Rica's Electricity Is Nearly At 100% Renewable Energy|date=23 February 2020|publisher=intelligentliving.co|access-date=23 February 2020|archive-date=23 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223231331/https://www.intelligentliving.co/costa-ricas-electricity-nearly-100-renewable-energy/|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Zona Franca América, Heredia, Costa Rica.jpg|thumb|An [[industrial park]] in [[Heredia, Costa Rica|Heredia]]]]
In 1996, the Forest Law was enacted to provide direct financial incentives to landowners for the provision of environmental services.<ref name=ODI1/> This helped reorient the forestry sector away from commercial timber production and the resulting [[deforestation]] and helped create awareness of the services it provides for the economy and society (i.e., [[carbon fixation]], hydrological services such as producing fresh drinking water, biodiversity protection, and provision of scenic beauty).<ref name=ODI1/>

A 2016 report by the U.S. government report identifies other challenges facing Costa Rica as it works to expand its economy by working with companies from the US (and probably from other countries).<ref name="2016.export.gov">{{cite web |last=ITA |title=Export.gov – CCG |url=http://2016.export.gov/costarica/doingbusinessincostarica/index.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170418225120/http://2016.export.gov/costarica/doingbusinessincostarica/index.asp |archive-date=18 April 2017 |access-date=4 August 2017 |website=2016.export.gov}}</ref> The major concerns identified were as follows:
* The ports, roads, railways, and water delivery systems would benefit from major upgrading, a concern voiced by other reports too.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/economics/a-bird-eye-view-of-costa-rica-s-transport-infrastructure_5jlswbwvwqjf-en|title=A bird-eye view of Costa Rica's transport infrastructure|first1=Mauro|last1=Pisu|first2=Federico|last2=Villalobos|date=3 August 2016|journal=OECD Economics Department Working Papers|doi=10.1787/5jlswbwvwqjf-en|doi-access=free|access-date=4 August 2017|archive-date=5 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805020809/http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/economics/a-bird-eye-view-of-costa-rica-s-transport-infrastructure_5jlswbwvwqjf-en|url-status=live|issn = 1815-1973 }}</ref> Attempts by China to invest in upgrading such aspects were "stalled by bureaucratic and legal concerns".
* The bureaucracy is "often slow and cumbersome".
[[Mining in Costa Rica]] contributes a small amount to the economy. In 2018 5.2 tons of gold were produced.<ref>{{Cite web |last=DGM |title=DGM |url=https://geologia.go.cr/mineria/mineria_de_costa_rica_en_datos.aspx |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=geologia.go.cr |language=es}}</ref>