
Ease of doing business
theboardiQ Tariffs Dashboard:
Powering Mutually Beneficial Global Trade.
Understand the complexities of international tariffs and ease of doing business across nations to cultivate balanced trade relationships, streamline operations, and deliver cost savings to end consumers.

Implications
As of January 2026, trade relations between the United States and Costa Rica have undergone significant shifts due to the "Trump 2.0" administration's trade policies. While the long-standing CAFTA-DR (Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement) remains technically in force, it has been overlaid by new executive-led tariffs.
The following table summarizes the current tariff landscape and its economic implications for Costa Rica:
US-Costa Rica Trade & Tariffs Update (2025–2026)
Category | Details & Current Status |
Current Tariff Rates | A 15% tariff is currently applied to most US imports from Costa Rica. This began as a 10% baseline in April 2025 (invoking the IEEPA) and was hiked to 15% in August 2025. |
Key Trade Deals | CAFTA-DR still exists, but its duty-free benefits are currently being bypassed by "reciprocal" and "emergency" tariffs. Costa Rica is actively negotiating for a "Trade Framework" (similar to ones signed by El Salvador and Guatemala) to secure exemptions. |
Trade Impact | Volatility in export growth. While exports to the US grew 21% in early 2025 due to "front-loading," momentum is slowing. Increased costs are hitting the medical device and agricultural sectors hardest. |
GDP Impact | Costa Rica's Central Bank and the IMF projected growth to slow from 4.2% in 2025 to 3.5% in 2026. This deceleration is largely attributed to US trade barriers and a strong local currency (Colón). |
Company Impacts | Intel (semiconductors) and medical device manufacturers are under pressure. High-tech firms face a potential 25% Section 232 tariff on advanced computing and medical parts. |
Key Developments to Watch in 2026
Supreme Court Ruling: The US Supreme Court is expected to rule in early 2026 on the legality of the IEEPA (International Emergency Economic Powers Act) tariffs. If ruled unlawful, Costa Rican exporters may be eligible for billions in tariff refunds.
Medical Device Threats: The US administration is investigating medical devices under Section 232 (National Security). Since medical instruments represent nearly 40% of Costa Rica's exports, a negative outcome could be devastating for the "Free Zone" manufacturing hubs.
Semiconductor Shift: Intel has begun a gradual closure of certain microprocessor assembly operations in Costa Rica, partly due to the threat of a 100% tariff on chips announced in late 2025.
Currency Pressures: The Costa Rican Colón has appreciated significantly against the USD, making Costa Rican exports even more expensive when combined with the 15% tariff "tax."
Summary of Sector Vulnerability
High Risk: Medical Devices, Semiconductors, Advanced Electronics.
Medium Risk: Bananas, Pineapples, Coffee (often shielded by "non-compete" clauses where the US cannot produce sufficient quantities).
Low Risk: Services and Tourism (impacted by the strong Colón rather than direct tariffs).
US Revised Tariffs
Country Tariffs
Balance of Trade
Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in countries, prepared by U.S. Embassies worldwide, Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
Tariff Rate for US
World Bank staff estimates using the World Integrated Trade Solution system, based on tariff data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's Trade Analysis and Information System ( TRAINS ) database and global imports data from the United Nations Statistics Division's Comtrade database.
US Imports Guide
United States Imports from Countries during 2024, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. United States Imports from Countries- data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on April of 2025.
Investing in USA
theboardiQ Economic Relevance Score, ranks States of USA based on 11 parameters
Sources : Forbes | USDA Economic Research | TCGen Total Innovation Rank Index | Best States for Manufacturing | World Population Review | Tax Foundation | US News | BEA Data | Wikipedia | International Trade Administration
theboardiQ's Economic Relevance Score provides a comprehensive, data-driven assessment of a nation's economic vitality and global significance. This score is meticulously calculated using 11 key parameters, each reflecting a critical facet of economic performance. It analyzes the representation of Fortune 500 companies within a nation, a strong indicator of its business environment and market size. The balance of trade surplus or deficit reveals the nation's international competitiveness and export strength. It incorporates Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a fundamental measure of overall economic output, and examine the health of key sectors like agriculture and manufacturing. The score also accounts for innovation, gauging a nation's ability to drive future growth through technological advancements. Crucial labor market indicators such as employment rates are considered, alongside fiscal policies reflected in tax rates. To capture the lived experience of citizens, it assesses cost of living and disposable income, providing insight into purchasing power and economic well-being. Finally, education levels are integrated, recognizing their pivotal role in fostering a skilled workforce and driving long-term economic development. By synthesizing these 11 parameters, theboardiQ's Economic Relevance Score delivers a nuanced and holistic view of a nation's economic standing, enabling informed strategic decisions. The Top 5 States in the assessment are Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, Florida and Washington. Texas does consistently well across most of the 11 variables especially in the areas of GDP, F500 representation in the State, Balance of Trade where it ranks 2nd nationally. North Carolina scores as the highest-ranking state nationally in manufacturing and performs consistently across the other variables. Virginia does well in disposable income where it ranks 3rd nationally. It also scores high in the variables of manufacturing and employment Florida holds the 4th ranking nationally for GDP and Tax Washington State scores the top spot for disposable income nationally, 2nd for education and 3rd for innovation. Colorado, with an overall rank of 7 scores the top spot for Education (schools and higher education). Nebraska, that ranked 10th overall, did well in Agriculture where it is ranked 3rd nationally as well as Trade Balance where it ranked 5th. Illinois, though ranked 20th overall did well nationally in F500 representation, GDP, Agriculture, and Disposable Income. Pennsylvania comes in at 21 overall doing well nationally in GDP (6th); Manufacturing (8th) and F500 representation (8th) New York scores 23rd overall with a 2 ranking in Disposable Income nationally, as well as 3rd in both F500 representation and GDP. California comes in at 29th overall and has the top spot ranking in a whopping 4 variables nationally – GDP, Innovation, Agriculture and F500 representation. However, performance in the areas of Trade Balance, Cost of Living, Tax, Manufacturing and Employment resulted in the overall ranking dipping. Wyoming at 30th overall scores the top spot nationally in the area of Tax Massachusetts at 31 overall does well in innovation where it is ranked 2nd nationally Arkansas at 36 and Alabama at 39, do well in overall Cost of Living where they are ranked 2nd and 3rd nationally, respectively. Louisiana ranked 44th overall is ranked 1st in Trade Balance nationally.

Economic
Relevance
Ranking
State | Info | Overall Rank | Agri | Innov | Mfg | Employ | Tax | Edu | GDP | F500 Rep | Trade Balance | Cost of Living | Disp Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Texas | 1 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 42 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 24 | 13 | |
North Carolina | 2 | 9 | 21 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 28 | 11 | 16 | 41 | 17 | 17 | |
Virginia | 3 | 32 | 24 | 6 | 2 | 28 | 7 | 13 | 6 | 34 | 35 | 3 | |
Florida | 4 | 21 | 11 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 35 | 4 | 7 | 40 | 30 | 37 | |
Washington | 5 | 16 | 3 | 36 | 28 | 45 | 9 | 9 | 15 | 9 | 43 | 1 | |
Missouri | 6 | 11 | 25 | 22 | 20 | 13 | 32 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 10 | 20 | |
Georgia | 7 | 15 | 26 | 9 | 3 | 26 | 34 | 8 | 9 | 43 | 26 | 19 | |
Minnesota | 8 | 6 | 10 | 47 | 6 | 44 | 8 | 20 | 10 | 33 | 33 | 9 | |
Ohio | 9 | 12 | 32 | 7 | 30 | 35 | 36 | 7 | 5 | 38 | 15 | 11 | |
Illinois | 10 | 5 | 23 | 31 | 23 | 37 | 16 | 5 | 4 | 47 | 32 | 7 |