While Costa Rica has managed to maintain an overall growth in exports, the industries experiencing the most decline in business are located outside the country’s free trade zones, said economic experts, who say more across-the-board incentives are required to stimulate the country’s exports.

The Chamber of Exporters of Costa Rica (CADEXCO) said in a statement this week that export activity for the first half of this year shows stability, but they recommended implemented competitive strategies to give continuity and strengthening to this growth.

CADEXCO has repeatedly pointed out the lack of competitiveness facing the Costa Rica export sector in key areas, such as the need for a balanced exchange rate policy that reflects the local economic reality, the impact of high production costs, and the lack of adequate infrastructure that makes logistics expensive, said President of CADEXCO Laura Bonilla.

Also, lack of access to credit is another factor that limits some export businesses.

Data on the behavior of exports in July indicate that exports of goods grew by 8 percent overall. The growth registered in the exports of free-zone companies was 13 percent, while growth by export businesses outside the preferential regime was 3 percent.

This general growth is due in particular to the dynamism of the free zone regime, which is made up of 190 companies. However, the 2,190 companies that are outside this regime are failing to experience similar growth, with minimal increases in recent months and with a lack of defined strategies to promote their growth.

The textile and footwear sector saw a decrease of 5 percent this year, compared to the same period last year; likewise the plastics sector has remained down, showing a decrease of 2 percent. The products with sharpest deceleration are paper and cardboard, down by 59 percent, electric cables with a 14 percent decline, and juices and concentrates with a 13 decrease.