U.S. dairy producers have reached a key milestone in expanding global market access, as Costa Rica has officially approved the first American dairy facility under a newly simplified registration process. The move is expected to strengthen trade ties and increase opportunities for U.S. dairy exports to the Central American country.
Costa Rica’s National Animal Health Service (SENASA) approved the registration of a U.S. dairy cooperative on May 22, marking the first approval under a resolution that streamlines the export process. This development opens the door to a dairy market worth approximately $60 million in 2024 and contributes to broader U.S. efforts to remove non-tariff trade barriers.
Under the revised system, SENASA has eliminated the previous questionnaire process. Instead, U.S. dairy facilities must now submit a signed letter from USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service verifying compliance with U.S. sanitary requirements, along with a technical fact sheet for the intended export products. The approval timeframe has also been reduced from 90 days to 30 days, speeding up access for qualified producers.
The updated process, effective as of May 10, applies to all U.S. dairy facilities and product types, including industrial ingredients like whey, casein, butter oil, and sweet cream. Facilities must be officially registered with SENASA prior to shipping, or risk having their products detained or rejected upon arrival.
This latest trade advancement is part of a broader push by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand export opportunities for American agricultural products. Recent USDA actions include reducing tariffs on U.S. Bourbon exports to India, exempting U.S. pork from Panama’s import quota mechanism, and resolving a ban on genetically engineered U.S. soybeans in Pakistan. Additionally, Japan recently lifted mandatory aflatoxin testing on U.S. almonds, paving the way for a projected increase in annual exports.
The registration of the first U.S. dairy facility in Costa Rica signals promising growth for American dairy exports and reflects ongoing efforts to simplify international market access through regulatory cooperation.
