LONDON, May 7 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:

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NewaccessforUKexporterstomarketsincludingbeef,cheeseandanimalfeed

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Greater freedomforUKservicesprofessionals tooperatewithinmarket

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Furthernewjoinersexpected asblocstrengthensglobal network

CostaRica has beengrantedaccessiontotheComprehensiveand ProgressiveAgreement for Trans-PacificPartnership(CPTPP).

TheCentralAmericannationwill nowformallyjoin theUKas a member ofthetrading bloc, which has acombinedGDPof£13trillion,according to 2025 data.

Once ratified,Costa Rica's accession willbenefitUK businessesfrom day one.Exporters willable totakeadvantageofduty-free access(within a quota)forgoodslikecheese(including cheddar),confectioneryand animalfeed.Exportsof pork and biscuits will become duty-free withinfiveyears,beef withineightand cheese within12.

We have opened these sectors while protecting our farmers, by not increasing access to sensitive agricultural sectors including beef,porkand chicken. We have also not offered any greater market access to Costa Rica than to other CPTPP members.

UK companies willalsohave legally guaranteed access to bid for Costa Rican public procurement,allowing them to bid for government contracts under CPTPP rules.

Costa Rica's accession to CPTPP strengthens the existing services and investmentrelationshipbetweenthe UK and Costa Rica, giving UK businesses greater certainty, clear rules, and improved access to a market where services and investment already underpinthe majority ofbilateral trade.

Theservices and investmentliberalisationthat Costa Rica has agreed to as part of their accession to CPTPP shows the value oftheblocinpromotinghigh-value, open, and predictable services and investment trade flows between CPTPP members.

Through accession to CPTPP, Costa Rica has agreed toliberaliseits professional services regime across 19 regulated professions including inlegal, accounting, and engineering services.Thisliberalisationgoes far beyond any of Costa Rica'sprevioustrade agreements and provides a more open and accessible market for UK professionals.

The UK will alsobenefitfrom Costa Rica'smost ambitiousTemporary Entryofferto date,including a new CPTPP-specific temporary entry route offering previously unavailable categories ofBusiness Personssuch as Contractual Service Suppliers, Independent Professionals andSpecialisedTechnicians, with priority sectors secured for UK providers.

Costa Rica's accession willrepresentthe first time they have taken international obligations on State-Owned Enterprises helping to protect British businesses from market distortions.

For Financial Services, Costa Rica's accession to CPTPP provides UK firms with legal certainty on their ability to provide portfolio management and e-payment card services to Costa Rican clients on a cross-border basis.

CPTPP is open for growth: we are negotiating with Uruguay and planning to start discussions with Indonesia, thePhilippinesand the UAE this year, if possible.The fact thatthe CPTPPis growing and has several other countries who want to join shows that there is a strong appetite around the world for free and fair trade based on a shared set of rules.

Additional Information:

Markets

The UK and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) - GOV.UK

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