Costa Rica's Chamber of Foreign Commerce and Foreign Business
Representatives (CRECEX) announced Tuesday the opening of a trade
office in China, which is aimed at helping enhance trade between
Central American and Asian countries.
CRECEX's Foreign Trade Commission president Helga Cespedes said
in a statement that Central America "is ready to enter Asian
markets" and "this is why we have chosen China to open the first
trade office."
The trade office will facilitate CRECEX's actions for
entrepreneurs of Asia, Costa Rica and other Central American
countries, and search for markets, suppliers and trade
associations, he said.
In recent years, CRECEX has taken dozens of Central American
entrepreneurs, most of them Costa Ricans, to China to participate
in trade fairs and seek cooperation with Asian entrepreneurs.
Last year, Costa Rica's exports to China reached US$558 million,
up 132 percent compared to 2005.
Costa Rican President Oscar Arias has expressed interest in
reaching free trade agreements with Asian countries.
(Xinhua News Agency April 25, 2007)
