The executive president of the Mexican Council for Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology (COMCE) , Sergio Contreras Pérez, supported Costa Rica’s incorporation as a full member of the Pacific Alliance , highlighting its potential to strengthen regional competitiveness and the bloc’s projection toward Central America.
At the forum “The Road to the Pacific Alliance ,” held in San José, Costa Rica, Contreras Pérez stated that adding Costa Rica is an opportunity to strengthen the Pacific Alliance, thanks to the Central American country’s expertise in sectors such as high technology, agroindustry, and medical devices , among others, in addition to its development in education and qualified human talent.
“It also represents an opportunity to build a bridge to Central American countries and take advantage of the trade offered by the Asia-Pacific region,” the statement said.
The president of the Mexico chapter of the Pacific Alliance Business Council (CEAP) also highlighted Costa Rica’s export leadership, its participation in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and its port connectivity in the Pacific and the Caribbean as key strengths that consolidate its strategic role in the region.
Among the main challenges, Contreras Pérez noted, are logistical costs and the need for better infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Víctor Sánchez Colín, Mexican ambassador to Costa Rica, emphasized that the integration of the Central American country will allow progress toward a more modern, competitive, and inclusive integration.
For her part, Rosa María Morales, president of the Costa Rica-Mexico Chamber of Industry and Commerce, highlighted the mechanism’s social purpose; while Arturo Rosabal, president of the Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce, believed the integration will allow for market diversification , primarily in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Pacific Alliance was founded in 2011, and the Trade Protocol was signed in 2014. It provides for 100% tariff liberalization among member countries by 2030, compared to the current 99%.
“The Pacific Alliance is not just a trade agreement, but a mechanism for deep integration between Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru, based on the four pillars or freedoms: the free movement of goods, services, people, and capital,” the statement said.
Diplomatic, business, and government representatives, as well as ambassadors from member countries, participated in the forum, among others.
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