Food industry promotes Costa Rican products in South American markets through virtual trade mission

• 25 South American companies expect to participate.

San Jose, July 30, 2020. In order to promote Costa Rica’s exportable offer in the category of raw materials for the food industry, a virtual trade mission is under way with buyers from Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. The event, organized by the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promoter (PROCOMER), will be held on the Microsoft Teams platform from July 20 to July 31.

A total of 16 Costa Rican and 25 South American companies will participate in the trade mission with more than 120 business meetings scheduled over the two week event.

During the event, Costa Rica will promote a wide variety of products that are raw materials for the food industry in these countries, such as pureed chili peppers for the production of sauces, spices, condiments, bases for premixes and powdered beverages, juice concentrates, NFC pineapple and orange juices, frozen fruits, heart of palm, roots, tubers, frozen vegetables, organic and traditional frozen pineapple, fruit purees, jams and pastry fillings, flavorings, colorants and additives for the industry, powders and fruit, vegetable and tuber flours, frozen aseptic banana puree and more.

Pedro Beirute, General Manager at PROCOMER, commented that “Costa Rican raw materials for the food industry have typically done well in South American markets. In the case of Chile, to be specific, our Trade Promotion Office (OPC) has focused its efforts on promoting Costa Rica as a strategic partner due to its quality products and companies with adequate profiles. It should be noted that there is still room to grow in this niche which is why we are supporting exporters in this sector. The idea is to promote more and new business opportunities that allow us to generate economic and social well-being for Costa Rica.”

Pamela Arias, Project Director of the company Agroindustrial Montaña Azul, went on to say, “I applaud PROCOMER for this initiative at a time when we need to adjust to the reality of COVID-19 and appreciate the opportunity to participate and meet important companies in the South American food industry market. We hope to continue participating in these activities with markets interested in our products while taking advantage of existing technologies, as we are doing today.”

This activity provides exporters with business opportunities, the chance to meet with specific buyers interested in their offer, information regarding market and negotiation dynamics, as well as on the competition, access to consumer trends in terms of products and presentations, and much more.

It is also an important platform to showcase the quality and safety of Costa Rican foods, many of which are certified USDA Organic, Kosher, Halal, FSSC 22000, EU Organic, Global GAP, Rain Forest Alliance, Carbon Neutral , BCS and others.

In 2019, Costa Rica exported $207 million to South America, of which Colombia represented 26%, Ecuador 16%, Brazil and Chile 13%, and Peru 9%.