COMEX communicates the remaining quota of black beans from the treaty with China

The Ministry of Foreign Trade (COMEX) announced that there is an available remainder of the black bean import tariff quota provided for in the Free Trade Agreement between Costa Rica and the People’s Republic of China. The notice, identified as DAACI-PUB-AVS-0010-2026, was published in La Gaceta No. 192 on Monday, October 12, 2026, in the Foreign Trade section, and enables the use of the remainder between October 1 and December 31, 2026.

The announcement is issued based on Article 13 of the Regulation for the Administration of Import Tariff Quotas contemplated in the bilateral treaty, a rule that empowers the administration to report on the unassigned volumes of each quota. The text was signed by Alejandra Porras González, director of the Directorate for the Application of International Trade Agreements, and is published once in the Official Gazette, with the internal processing reference IN202601131873.

Validity and scope of the remainder

The remainder may be used during the period between October 1 and December 31, 2026, according to the official notice. The details of the quota, its application form, and the applicable regulations are available to the public on the COMEX website, at www.comex.go.cr/contingentes.

The notice does not quantify the available volume of the remainder in its text; that information must be consulted in the details published by the Ministry. The quota corresponds to the import of black beans covered by the treaty with China, one of the sensitive products for the national bean sector.

Requirements and order of allocation

Those interested in participating for the allocation of the remainder must comply with the following conditions indicated in the notice:

• Submit their application to the Ministry of Foreign Trade starting the next business day after publication, that is, from Tuesday, October 13, 2026.
• Use the form and regulations available at www.comex.go.cr/contingentes.
• Submit to the planned distribution mechanism: the available volume will be distributed and allocated following the daily order of submission of applications.

The notice is published once in La Gaceta, without a closing deadline established in the text other than the validity of the remainder itself.

Background of COMEX management

This communication is added to other notices from the same directorate in previous weeks. On October 1, 2026, in La Gaceta No. 185, COMEX published notice DAACI-PUB-AVS-0007-2026 regarding the import tariff quotas for the year 2027, with the details, form, and regulations on the same website.

Previously, on September 1, 2026, in La Gaceta No. 164, the Ministry had released notice DAACI-PUB-AVS-0005-2026 regarding the cheese export quota in relation to Costa Rica’s commitments to the World Trade Organization for 2027. In both cases, the same scheme is repeated: publication in the Official Gazette and referral to the quota portal for the procedure.

Impact for importers and the bean sector

The opening of the remaining balance enables importers to request allocations of black beans with preferential tariff treatment during the last quarter of the year, a period in which the supply of the grain is usually sensitive for the industry and national consumption. For the bean sector, the notice clearly defines the window of use and the distribution criteria, which reduces uncertainty regarding the entry of imported products at the close of 2026.

Source: La Gaceta, No. 192 of Monday, October 12, 2026, Foreign Trade section, p. 85 (official reference: DAACI-PUB-AVS-0010-2026).