Food and medicine shortages to follow  Costa Rica border reatrictions

Border restrictions imposed by Costa Rica to avoid the increase  in  coronavirus transmissions will mean an early shortage of food, medicines and hygiene products.

The warning came  from The Federation of Chambers and Associations of Exporters of Central America and the Caribbean (Fecaexca) on Tuesday May 19

The “unilateral” sanitary measure imposed by the neighboring country prevents the passage of 1,659 trucks  stranded in Costa Rica and perishable products are about to be lost said  Fecaexca at a press conference virtual.

Roberto Tribaldos, president of the Panamanian Association of Exporters (APEX), said that the sanitary alternatives proposed by Costa Rica are not viable because they are paralyzing the borders of the region, and will trigger a shortage of food and medicines.

Panama imports from the region, medicines, animal feed, flour, bread, fertilizers, packaging, supplies for the preparation of sauces, condiments and food,  said Tribaldos.

He said that the Panamanian company Open Blue, dedicated to cobia farming, has  126 metric tons of fish food on the border with Costa Rica.

Javier Visuetti, of Open Blue, said that if the border measure continues, the farming of 500,000 fish would be at risk.

The company imports 350 metric tons of pelletized food from the neighboring country each month.

Panama has more than 135 containers stranded in Costa Rica, without counting the paralysis of the Paso Canoas border crossing, Tribaldo said.

Fecaexca members also allege that these provisions are causing neighboring countries such as Panama, Honduras and Nicaragua to proceed to implement reciprocity measures that will affect the regional integration scheme and limit intra-regional trade.

For his part, Ramón Martínez, Minister of Commerce and Industries (MICI), “demanded” his counterparts in Costa Rica resolve the border situation immediately. According to the official, these measures “affect the supply chain, which of course worsens the condition of the economic sectors involved.”

Clearly, “the decrees adopted by Costa Rica violate the agreement on the application of sanitary and phytosanitary measures of the World Trade Organization, which also support the regional integration process,” said Martínez.