SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica – From June 11 to 14, Costa Rica showcased its export offering in the international Seoul Food & Hotel trade show, which took place in the KINTEX Exhibition Center in Seoul, South Korea. The Trade and Investment Promotion Agency of Costa Rica (PROCOMER) led the Costa Rican delegation, which was present at the trade show, comprising the companies Café San Vito, Todo Natural and CompañÃa Frutera La Paz, as well as other companies such as DAPASA, Ron Centenario, Nahua, Kwiso Coffee, and Socafé which presented their products in display cases.
Besides being the space for these companies to showcase a variety of high value-added products, such as specialty coffee, dried pineapple, frozen fruits, snacks, chocolates, rum, and coffee, the esencial Costa Rica country stand allowed buyers and consumers to taste and get to know the quality and diversity of the Costa Rican products.
Mario Sáenz, Export Development Manager of PROCOMER, commented that, “In PROCOMER, we continue to look for new markets and opportunities for Costa Rican companies. This first time participating in Seoul Food & Hotel 2024 enabled us to take the diversity, high added value, and sustainability of our products to South Korea in a space with business opportunities from all over the world in such a dynamic and enriching market such as the Asian market.”
The objective of participating in Seoul Food & Hotel 2024 was to promote Costa Rica as a trustworthy supplier of high quality food products, increase trade with South Korea and diversify Costa Rican exports in non-traditional markets. The trade show also represented an opportunity to make known leading export products such as Arabica coffee, recognized worldwide for its quality and organoleptic characteristics, and the MD2 pineapple, known for its sweetness and availability throughout the year.
Marianella Chaves, Export Manager of Todo Natural highlighted, “Participating in the Seoul Food & Hotel trade show was a valuable experience for anyone interested in entering the Korean market. The trade show offered us a unique opportunity to connect with buyers, suppliers, and other professionals from the Korean food industry. It was also an excellent way to get to know the latest market trends and developments.”
“The participation of our products in the trade show met our objectives, among which which it is worth highlighting making our product known as a specialty coffee in important international markets such as the Asian market. It is a privilege to take our first steps in exporting our coffee together with PROCOMER,” added Roylin Monge, founder of Kwiso Coffee.
During the trade show, the Costa Rican companies had the opportunity to meet importers, distributors, and supermarket chains, from South Korea as well as other Asian countries. There were also point of sale visits in Seoul to get to know consumer trends and the competition in the Korean market.
South Korea is the fourth trading partner for Costa Rican exports in Asia, with more than $363 million recorded in the first four months of 2024.
