Costa Rica joins CPTPP: implications for UK traders
Costa Rica has been accepted as a new member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the £13 trillion global trade bloc that already includes the UK. This expands preferential market access for UK exporters and importers sourcing from Costa Rica. Traders should review tariff schedules and rules of origin for goods currently subject to general MFN rates to identify duty savings opportunities under CPTPP.
Photo: Enrique Hidalgo / Pexels# Costa Rica Joins CPTPP: What UK Traders Need to Know
Costa Rica has been accepted as a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), joining a £13 trillion global trade bloc that includes the United Kingdom, according to the UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT).
The CPTPP is a major plurilateral free trade agreement that covers tariff elimination, rules of origin, trade in services, intellectual property, investment protections, and dispute resolution. With Costa Rica's accession, UK exporters will gain preferential market access to a Central American economy with established agricultural, manufacturing, and services sectors. Conversely, UK importers sourcing from Costa Rica will benefit from reduced or eliminated tariffs on eligible goods under the agreement's tariff schedule.
Who is affected
UK merchants, e-commerce sellers, and freight forwarders handling Costa Rican imports or exporting to Costa Rica should now evaluate whether their shipments qualify for CPTPP preferential rates. The agreement covers goods across most HS chapters, including agricultural products (chapters 1–24), textiles (chapters 50–63), machinery (chapters 84–90), and electronics (chapters 85–91), among others.
CPTPP eligibility requires strict rules of origin compliance. Goods must either originate in a CPTPP member state or have undergone sufficient processing (typically 45% or greater content from member states, depending on the commodity) to qualify for zero or reduced rates.
What this means for shippers
Review your Costa Rican supplier agreements and import logistics immediately: confirm whether your goods meet CPTPP rules of origin, obtain or update certificates of origin, and recalculate landed costs using the new preferential tariff rates rather than general MFN duty. Non-compliance risks losing duty-free or reduced-rate treatment and paying back duties. Check the UK tariff schedules at the Department for Business and Trade for Costa Rica-specific reductions and file updated commercial invoices and HS codes with your freight forwarder before shipment. /usmca-duty-free-check
