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With a stable democracy, predictable business climate, and economic growth fueled by a resurgent tourism industry, Costa Rica presents excellent export opportunities for U.S. food and beverage exporters in 2023.

FAS/San José anticipates Costa Rican orange production to rise to 305,000 metric tons in marketing year 2022/23, despite challenging growing conditions, as effective citrus greening management and increased density tree patterns drive yields higher.

The members of the Pacific trade bloc Alliance advanced Costa Rica’s bid for full membership, charting a course for Costa Rica to formally join Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Chile in 2023.

Marketing Year (MY) 2022/23 (August to July) is characterized by high pest infestation of cotton leafhoppers, known commonly as jassids, in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Senegal. Post forecasts the harvested area in all three countries to fall back to the previous year level, 1.33 million hectares (MHA) due to abandoned area caused by this infestation and excess rainfall.

The fisheries sector contributes to 3.2 percent to Senegal’s gross domestic product (GDP), accounts for 10.2 percent of Senegal exports, and generated $400 million in value in 2021. There is a growing demand for high quality fish and seafood products because overfishing and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing have led to depleted fish stocks, creating market access opportunities for U.S. seafood exporters.

Though area planted with genetically engineered crops continued to fall in 2022, expanded operations of another cottonseed producer, opportunities to increase pink pineapple exports, and a new government opposed to ‘red tape’ could reverse this trend in 2023. While neither livestock nor other animal producers in Costa Rica appear interested in animal biotechnology applications at this time, a regulatory structure exists.

This is a regional report on West Africa that primarily covers Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Mali, but also provides brief overviews in certain sections for Niger, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Mauritania. Senegal and Mauritania passed new biosafety laws on June 14, 2022, and August 4, 2022, respectively.

Senegal Marketing Year (MY) 2022/23 area and production levels are forecast to increase 1.6 percent and 7 percent at 1.23 million hectares (Mha) and 1.8 million tons (Mt), respectively, on expectations of a good farm gate price, typical weather conditions, and appropriate use of fertilizer. Post forecasts MY 2022/23 exports at 460,000 tons, increasing 15 percent compared to the previous year based on available supply and higher demand.

U.S. exports of consumer-oriented products rose 34 percent in 2021, climbing to $394 million, due in part to a strong recovery in the tourism sector. There were more than 1.4 million in-bound international travelers through July 2022, slightly off the pre-pandemic pace, but more than double 2021 levels and including nearly 820,000 Americans.

For Marketing Year (MY) 2022/23 (August to July) harvested area for Mali, Burkina Faso, and Senegal is forecast to increase eight percent to 1.44 million hectares (MHA) compared to the previous year. This increase is largely due to significant...

On July 6, the Government of Costa Rica published a draft executive decree that would dramatically reduce tariffs on imported milled and rough rice. The vast majority of U.S. rice exported to Costa Rica in 2021 (valued at $25 million) entered under a duty free quota for rough rice established by the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement.

On June 14, 2022, a new biosecurity law was signed into effect, repealing the 2009 biosecurity law and establishing a process to allow the entry, research, and commercialization of genetically engineered (GE) products in Senegal. The functionality of the law will depend on the approval of 18 implementing decrees. A process has begun to consolidate the decrees to expedite their ratification.