Key facts
- Costa Rica has withdrawn its bid to join the CPTPP.
- Foreign Trade Minister Indiana Trejos was dismissed by President Laura Fernandez.
- Lack of transparency in negotiations cited as reason for dismissal.
- Producer groups, especially from the agriculture sector, protested the bid.
- The CPTPP is a trade bloc of 12 nations accounting for 15% of global GDP.
Costa Rica's government has withdrawn its bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a major trans-Pacific trade pact, and dismissed its foreign trade minister, President Laura Fernandez said on Wednesday. Fernandez stated that the removal of Foreign Trade Minister Indiana Trejos was due to a lack of transparency in the negotiations. The decision to scrap the application follows protests from Costa Rica's producer groups, particularly from the agriculture sector. The CPTPP is a free trade bloc of 12 nations across the Americas, Asia, Oceania and Europe that accounts for nearly 15% of global gross domestic product. Costa Rica had submitted its request to join in 2022 and held over 100 meetings to build consensus.