(Reuters) – Costa Rica has received authorization to ship pineapples to China, opening a new market for the world’s top exporter of the fruit, the Costa Rican government said on Thursday.
“This authorization will allow us to sell our pineapple in China, a country that shows a growing trend in consuming and importing this product,” Trade Minister Alexander Mora said in a statement.
The Central America country had been seeking a phytosanitary permit to send pineapple to China since 2010. Costa Rican pineapple exports rose more than 8 percent in 2016 to a five-year high of $873 million, according to government data.
The United States and Europe currently buy 97 percent of the country’s production.
