Costa Rica becomes Latin America’s second-largest medical-device exporter

Despite its relatively small size, Costa Rica has achieved a remarkable feat in the medical-device sector: according to a report dated May 19, 2025, the country now ranks as Latin America’s second-largest exporter of medical and precision-device equipment. 

The country’s success story begins with strategic industrial developments: a 1997 Intel assembly and testing plant laid the technological foundation that medical-device manufacturers later leveraged. Over the years, Costa Rica built a strong cluster in cardiovascular, aesthetic, dental and orthopaedic device sectors, supported by foreign investment from Germany, the Netherlands and Japan. 

Specifically, the report states that device-exports from Costa Rica reached a record USD 2.25 billion in one year, accounting for about 31% of the country’s free-zone exports. The main export destinations include the United States, China and the Netherlands. 

This growth is part of the “near-shoring” trend—global MedTech firms relocating manufacturing and supply chain operations closer to primary markets. Costa Rica has benefited thanks to its US-adjacent geography, its more than 90 industrial free zones and its attraction of global MedTech players establishing facilities there. 

Sources:

• “Costa Rica’s medical and precision device sector, record growth and exports.” May 19 2025. Link 

• “Precision in paradise: the Dominican Republic emerges as Latin America’s MedTech hub.” Sep 25 2025. Link