Costa Rica’s Dairy Producers Warn of Competition from CPTPP Accession
The National Chamber of Milk Producers (CNPL) says that additional trade liberalisation could leave Costa Rican dairy production more exposed to large international suppliers. The CPTPP includes New Zealand and Australia, as well as Canada, Chile, Japan, Mexico, Peru, the United Kingdom and Vietnam.
New Zealand is a particular focus of the sector’s concerns. A statement from the University Council of the University of Costa Rica identified the country as a significant competitor because of its role in global dairy trade, especially in powdered milk.
The producers’ organisations say the potential effects would extend beyond the price received for milk. They also identify workers, hauliers, feed and input suppliers, veterinary practices, processors and related retailers as parts of the wider chain that could be affected if domestic production lost competitiveness.
Estimates of the sector’s size differ between organisations. The university statement refers to about 27,000 production units, while the CNPL said in April that more than 28,000 producers were involved in the industry.
Agricultural groups are also calling for domestic constraints to be addressed before further trade opening. They cite the cost of inputs, interest rates, exchange-rate conditions and weaknesses in logistics infrastructure as issues that, in their view, affect the ability of national producers to compete. Producers in San Carlos have held meetings on the possible implications of the CPTPP and called for those matters to be resolved first.
The government takes a different position on the agreement’s potential benefits. It says membership could expand access to markets, bring in investment and deepen Costa Rica’s links with the Asia-Pacific region.
Costa Rica formally applied to join the CPTPP in August 2022. In May 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Trade said that the negotiations had been substantively concluded. The accession protocol and subsequent steps required for the agreement to enter into force still remain to be completed, leaving the debate open between the government and agricultural organisations.
