G/LIC/N/2/CRI/3  
12 December  2018 
(18-7856) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Import Licensing  Original:  Spanish  
 
  
AGREEMENT ON IMPORT  LICENSING PROCEDURES  
Notification under Article 5.1 -5.4 of the Agreement  
COSTA RICA 
The following notification , dated 4  December  2018, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Costa  Rica. 
 
 Category  Notification details  
1 Notifying Member:  Costa Rica  
2 Title of new 
legislation/procedure  General Regulations on the Allocation of Import  Tariff Quotas, Executive 
Decree No. 39938 -COMEX of 29  September  2016, published in 
Official  Journal  (La Gaceta) No.  192 of 6  October  2016. 
3 Date of publication:  6 October 2 016 
4 Date of entry into force  6 October 2016 
5 Website link/Official 
publication of the new 
regulation/  
procedure  Official Journal  No. 192 of 6 October 2 016.  
6. Have you attached a copy 
of the regulation (PDF) to 
the Secretariat?  [X] Yes. (Please attach a copy of the regulation to the notification)  
 
[  ] No. 
7. Type of notification  [X] (a) New licensing regulation/procedure ; (please answer questions  8 
to 14) 
 
[  ] (b) Changes to a regulation/procedure previously notified in 
document : ___________ ; (please answer questions  15 and 16 ) 
8. List of products subject to 
licensing  Please provide the HS codes and detailed descriptions of the products . 
In case of a long list, please attach the list  as an Annex in MS WORD 
format.  
See Annex  I 
9. Nature of licensing  Automatic : [  ] 
 
Non-Automatic:  [X] 
10 Administrative 
purpose/measure being 
implemented  (a)    Protect public morals  
(b)    Protect human, animal or plant life or health  
(c)    Collect trade statistics or market surveillance  
(d)    Protection of patents, trademarks and copyrights, and the 
prevention of deceptive practices;  
  (e)    Pursue obligations under the UN Charter and other 
international treaties ( i.e. C ITES, Basel Convention, 
Rotterdam Convention, UNSC Resolutions etc. ) 
(f)    Quota (including TRQ) administration  
(g)    Regulate imports of arms, ammunition or fissionable 
materials and safeguard national security  
(h)    Other : ______________ (please specify)  G/LIC/N/2/CRI/3  
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   Category  Notification details  
11 Administrative body(ies) 
for submission of 
applications  Ministry/authority and department : Directorate -General of Foreign Trade, 
Ministry of Foreign Trade  
Address : San Rafael de Escazú, Plaza Tempo, Lobby A tercer piso  
Website : www.comex.go.cr  
Tel: 2505-47-00 
Email  Agricultura_Contingentes@comex.go.cr  
12 Contact point for 
information on eligibilit y 
Ministry/authority and 
Department:  Ministry/authority and department : Directorate -General of Foreign Trade, 
Ministry of Foreign Trade  
Address : San Rafael de Escazú, Plaza Tempo, Lobby A tercer piso  
Website : www.comex.go.cr  
Tel: 2505-41-56 / 2505 -41-43 
Email  Agricultura_Contingentes@comex.go.cr  
13 Expected duration of 
licensing procedure  Ongoing  
14 A summary of the 
notification in one of the 
WTO official languages  Pursuant to  Article  1.4(a) and Article  8.2(b) of the Agreement on Import 
Licensing Procedures, the Government of Costa Rica is pleased to report 
that the legislation on the import licensing system in force in Costa  Rica 
is based on the General Regulations on the Allocation of Import Tariff 
Quotas laid down in Executive Decree No. 39938 -COMEX of 
29 September  2016, published in the Official Journal  (La Gaceta) of 
6 October  2016. These Regulations govern the allocation and 
administration of the volumes of imports under the tariff quotas granted 
by Costa  Rica in accordance with its multilateral commitments in the 
World Trade Organization (WTO) and under the free trade agreements in 
force.  
 
Previously, i mport licensing was governed by the General Regulations on 
the Distribution and Allocation of Import Tariff Quotas, Executive Decree 
No. 30900 -COMEX -MAG of 20  December 2 0021, which have been 
repealed.  
 
The main changes made under Decree No. 3998-COMEX to the system of 
allocating and administering import quota v olumes are as follows:  
 
Eligibility of a pplicants : additional requirements were laid down in 
respect of persons applying for a tariff quota allocation, namely : they 
must be duly registered with the relevant health authority and they must 
be up to date with their Social Security obligations . Additionally, for new 
applicants there are one-off documentation requirements (see  below ) and 
quotas are allocated on a first-come, first -served basis according to the 
daily order in which applications are submitted.  
 
Documenta tion requirements : some changes were made to the form , 
so as to incorporate the requirement to register with the relevant health 
authority ; the requirem ent for sworn statements was removed ; a 
requirement was introduced for new applicants to submit a copy of the 
commercial invoice and the bill of lading . 
 
Invitation and allocation : in order to comply with the Bali Ministerial 
Declaration, a single invitation period was established in October of each 
year for historic al applicants . As a result,  quotas under 
WTO commitments and free -trade agreements are allocated in December 
and can be used by the parties from 1  January each year.  
 
The regulations, ap plication form and other relevant documentation  
concerning import licensing  are available on the Ministry of Foreign  
Trade's website , at: http://www.comex.go.cr/contingentes . 
                                                
1 See document G/AG/N/CRI/17.  G/LIC/N/2/CRI/3  
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   Category  Notification details  
15 In the case of 7(b), please 
indicate the type of new 
change(s)  (a)    Termination  
(b)   Suspension  
(c)   Modification of specific details in existing procedures:  
 
 Product coverage  
 Administrative purpose  
 Automatic or Non -automatic  
 Duration of licensing Product coverage  
 Change in the nature of quantity/value restriction  
 Eligibility of applicants  
 Contact information on eligibility  
 Administrative body(ies) for submission of application  
 Documentation requirements (including application form)  
 Period for Application  
 Administrative body(ies) issuing licences  
 Processing time for issuing licence  
 Licence fee/administrative charge  
 Deposit/advance payment and relevant conditions  
 Appeal regulations/procedures  
 Validity of licence  
 Other conditions of licence (extension, transferability, penalty for 
non-use etc.)  
 Foreign exchange requirements  
 Other : __________ (please specify)  
 
16 Please explain the 
changes in detail  
(in one of the official 
WTO  languages)   
 
 
_______________  
 
  G/LIC/N/2/CRI/3  
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  ANNEX I  
 
Description of products  Tariff item number(s)  
1 2 
POULTRY AND POULTRY PRODUCTS ; CUTS AND 
OFFAL OF POULTRY  0207139200 ; 0207139300 ; 0207139400 ; 
0207139900 ; 0207149200 ; 0207149300 ; 
0207149400 ; 0207149900 ; 0207269000 ; 
0207449000 ; 0207549000 ; 0207604900  
Milk and cream, not concentrated nor containing 
added sugar or other sweetening matter  0401 
Milk and cream, concentrated or containing 
added sugar or other sweetening matter 
(excluding  condensed a nd evaporated milk)  0402 (except 0402911000 and 0402991000)  
 
Buttermilk, curdled milk and cream, yoghurt, 
kephir and other fermented or acidified milk and 
cream, whether or not concentrated or containing 
added sugar or other sweetening matter or 
flavoured  or containing added fruit, nuts or 
cocoa.  0403 
BUTTER AND OTHER FATS AND OILS DERIVED 
FROM  MILK 0405 
Cheese and curd (excluding headings for 
cheddar -type, dehydrated, green - or blue-veined 
and other cheese  0406101000 ; 0406109000 ; 0406300000  
Sausages and similar products, of meat, meat 
offal or blood ; food preparations based on these 
products ; Of poultry of heading No. 01.05 ; Other 1601002000 ; 1602102000 ; 1602321000 ; 
1602329000  
Ice cream and other edible ice, whether or not 
containing cocoa.  2105 
 
 
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