The global economy crisis will hurt the exports of goods and services
from Costa Rican free zone parks, which are going to grow now at a
slower pace than in 2007. The Association of Free Zone Businesses
(AZOFRAS in Spanish) foresees that the 215 firms under the special
duty-free regime will increase their sales abroad by 5 percent only,
compared to 17 percent last year. However, AZOFRAS director Timothy
Scott is optimistic about 2009, when he foresees a 10 percent increase
in exports. The 5 percent increase for the year means that the overall
sales will be $5,319 million, from $5,066 million in 2007. Scott said
that the lower increase this year is not a disaster, when one takes
into account the crisis in the United States, the leading market.
Source: La Nacion