Relationship dossier
Costa Rica
United States
Relationship assessment
A cooperative relationship shaped by trade and security cooperation
Costa Rica toward United States
+45Costa Rica participates in CAFTA-DR, which provides a durable framework for trade with the United States, and has cooperated with the United States on counternarcotics and regional security.
United States toward Costa Rica
+45The United States has provided security assistance to Costa Rica and cooperated with its government on counternarcotics and maritime law enforcement.
Overall relationship
+45The relationship has durable economic ties through CAFTA-DR and practical cooperation on security and counternarcotics. These established areas of collaboration support a substantially cooperative overall assessment, while the breadth and recent implementation of cooperation across other policy areas remain less clear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Costa Rica and the United States maintain a substantially cooperative relationship, including through the CAFTA-DR trade framework and bilateral cooperation on security and counternarcotics. The relationship has durable economic and law-enforcement components, though the scope and consistency of cooperation across policy areas are less clear.
Key developments
CAFTA-DR entered into force for Costa Rica, establishing a lasting trade framework with the United States.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral security cooperation are unclear.
- The extent of recent changes in economic and migration cooperation is uncertain.