Costa Rican pineapples obtained the green light to be sold in the Chinese market, announced Costa Rica’s Ministry of Foreign Trade (COMEX) yesterday.

There are currently at least 20 companies interested in exporting pineapples to China. Dialogue with China on the possibility of exporting pineapple from Costa Rican began in 2010 when the pineapple sector expressed an interest in exporting the fruit to the Asian country.

In 2014, after an initial pest risk analysis was conducted in Costa Rica, China sent a delegation to examine the technical aspects of pineapple production and packing. In 2015, a protocol was signed between the countries which outlined the phytosanitary requirements for Costa Rica to export pineapples to China, said trade officials in a statement.

And, the last step was completed last month, when a technical mission from China inspected farms and packing plants in Guápiles, Sarapiquí, San Carlos and Upala. In Costa Rica there are about 38 thousand hectares and around 550 producers dedicated to growing pineapples.

The Costa Rican Ministry of Foreign Trade and the government’s Promoter of Foreign Trade (Procomer), together with the State Phytosanitary Service, have made important efforts in complying with requirements that allow for the entry of Costa Rican produce into the Chinese market.

Foreign Trade Minister Alexander Mora said, “Costa Rica stands out as the largest pineapple exporter in the world, and is currently present in the most demanding markets. We can now sell our pineapples in China, which shows a growing trend in the consumption of this product. Between 2014 and 2015, Chinese imports of pineapple grew 64 percent … which shows the great potential of China as a future consumer of Costa Rican pineapples, which stand out for their quality and flavor.”

Costa Rica already exports bananas, cow hides, beef, shrimp and dairy products to China. Work is under way to open the Chinese market to Costa Rican exports of pork, poultry, seafood, viscera, and melons, said COMEX.