Published on Tuesday, February 24, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff and wire services

Costa Rica’s exports to the United States will continue to be governed by the Dominican Republic–Central America–United States Free Trade Agreement, known as CAFTA-DR, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down certain import tariffs, Costa Rican authorities said.

The Ministry of Foreign Trade, or Comex, said the ruling voided sweeping tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. The White House announced the termination of certain duties enacted under a law used to address national emergencies, stating: “Those tariffs shall no longer be in effect and, as soon as practicable, shall no longer be collected.”

CAFTA-DR, signed in August 2004, is a free trade agreement (legally a treaty under international law) that includes the United States and the Central American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Originally known as CAFTA, it was renamed CAFTA-DR after the Dominican Republic joined negotiations in 2004.

 

The agreement was created to expand economic opportunities by opening markets, eliminating tariffs and reducing barriers to trade in services, among other measures.

Despite the court’s decision, Trump said Friday in a post on his Truth Social platform that he signed an order imposing temporary 15% tariffs on global imports, effective “almost immediately.”

The White House said the new 15% tariff is scheduled to take effect Tuesday, Feb. 24, and could remain in place for up to 150 days. The import duty will not apply to certain food products, key minerals or goods already subject to separate tariffs that remain in effect after the court’s ruling, according to the White House.

The new tariffs would be imposed under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows the president to levy duties of up to 15% for up to 150 days on countries tied to “large and serious” balance-of-payments issues. Unlike other trade enforcement tools available to the president, the statute does not require formal investigations or other procedural steps.

If the tariffs were to remain in place beyond 150 days, congressional approval would be required.

In August 2025, the United States announced new import tariffs on goods from Costa Rica, raising the rate from 10% to 15%. The measure was part of a broader trade policy initiative known as “reciprocal tariffs,” which affected imports from 60 countries.

Costa Rica’s exports reached a record of more than $22.8 billion in 2025, a 14% increase compared with 2024. Combined exports to the United States, Canada and Mexico rose 17%, representing an additional $1.4 billion in sales.

Costa Rican authorities said they will continue monitoring U.S. actions following the cancellation of the earlier tariffs and will notify the export sector of any additional measures adopted by the United States.

COMEX is the government agency responsible for overseeing Costa Rica’s foreign trade and investment strategy.

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