The UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has announced that Costa Rica has been granted accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
The Central American nation will now formally join the UK as a member of the trading bloc, which has a combined GDP of £13 trillion, according to 2025 data.
DBT stated that Costa Rica’s accession, once ratified, will grant exporters duty-free access (within a quota) to goods like cheese (including cheddar), confectionery and animal feed.
Exports of pork and biscuits will become duty-free within five years, beef within eight and cheese within 12.
UK companies will also have legally guaranteed access to bid for Costa Rican public procurement, allowing them to bid for government contracts under CPTPP rules.
The services and investment liberalisation that Costa Rica has agreed to as part of their accession to CPTPP also provides access to exporters on both sides to high-value, open, and predictable services and investment trade flows between CPTPP members.
Through accession to CPTPP, Costa Rica has reportedly agreed to liberalise its professional services regime across 19 regulated professions including in legal, accounting, and engineering services.
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