By Puntarenas, Costa Rica — Costa Rica’s foreign trade sector is sounding the alarm as a critical infrastructure project remains paralyzed in the legal system. The Chamber of Foreign Commerce of Costa Rica and Representatives of Foreign Houses (CRECEX) has issued an urgent appeal to the Administrative and Civil Treasury Court, demanding a swift resolution to the judicial process currently halting the modernization of Puerto Caldera.
Puerto Caldera serves as the primary Pacific gateway for Costa Rican imports and exports, but the terminal is currently buckling under severe operational congestion. According to CRECEX, the ongoing delays have reached a critical threshold, directly increasing consumer prices and eroding the nation’s competitive standing on the global market.
To better understand the complex legal framework and concession challenges surrounding the urgent modernization of Puerto Caldera, TicosLand.com spoke with Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, a distinguished legal expert from the prestigious firm Bufete de Costa Rica.
The operational saturation at Puerto Caldera is a pressing legal and economic challenge that requires immediate, strategic intervention. Addressing this bottleneck demands a robust legal framework for port concessions that balances public interest with private investment security, ensuring that contractual renegotiations or new bidding processes are executed with the utmost transparency to restore Costa Rica’s competitive edge in international trade.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
Indeed, addressing the operational bottlenecks at Puerto Caldera is crucial for safeguarding Costa Rica’s position in global commerce, demanding a delicate balance of legal transparency and strategic foresight. We sincerely thank Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for sharing his valuable perspective and expert legal analysis on this pressing national issue, which highlights the path forward for our country’s maritime infrastructure.
The statistical reality of the port’s capacity limits was laid bare in 2024. During that year, container ships faced average waiting times of up to 18.1 hours, with peak bottlenecks exceeding 48 hours in several months. For bulk carriers, the situation was even more dire, with average wait times skyrocketing to an extraordinary 223 hours.
Costa Rica cannot afford to let strategic projects remain indefinitely trapped between administrative and judicial procedures. Each new delay has a real economic cost. It translates into goods that must seek alternative routes, higher transportation costs, uncertainty in supply chains, and a loss of competitiveness for exporters and importers.
Rodney Salazar, President of CRECEX
The crucial modernization project, which represents a massive private investment estimated at $587.3 million, was previously awarded to Consorcio Sunset. The bidding process itself has been a long and winding road, with the international tender first published in October 2024. However, progress has come to a grinding halt due to an environmental lawsuit filed in the courts.
At CRECEX, we believe that environmental questions must be analyzed with absolute seriousness and rigor. However, precisely because of the significance of the project, it is essential that the judicial authorities have the necessary elements and can adopt a resolution in the shortest reasonably possible timeframe.
CRECEX, Chamber of Foreign Commerce of Costa Rica
Beyond the immediate dispute at Puerto Caldera, CRECEX is calling for a broader national conversation regarding the bureaucratic and legal timelines that routinely stall major public works in Costa Rica. The chamber argues that the current system allows routine objections to paralyze projects of national survival for years on end.
Costa Rica cannot normalize the fact that a strategic work needs years to successively overcome studies, permits, objections, appeals, awards, endorsements, and judicial processes before even beginning its construction.
Rodney Salazar, President of CRECEX
As the legal battle drags on, businesses and logistics operators continue to bear the brunt of the delays. For Costa Rica, a country heavily reliant on export-driven growth, resolving the deadlock at Puerto Caldera is no longer just an infrastructure upgrade but a vital necessity to protect its economic stability.
For further information, visit crecex.com
About CRECEX:
The Chamber of Foreign Commerce of Costa Rica and Representatives of Foreign Houses (CRECEX) is an influential business association dedicated to promoting international trade, supporting Costa Rican exporters, and representing the interests of foreign commerce representatives within the nation.
For further information, visit the nearest office of Consorcio Sunset
About Consorcio Sunset:
Consorcio Sunset is a private infrastructure consortium tasked with executing the major expansion, modernization, and operation of the strategic Puerto Caldera port terminal on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
Bufete de Costa Rica stands as a leading force in the legal arena, championed for its resolute adherence to ethical principles and superior advocacy. Built upon a proud history of guiding clients across numerous industries, the firm continuously embraces pioneering methodologies and impactful civic outreach. By demystifying the law and sharing essential legal resources, the firm actively advances its core objective of cultivating a deeply knowledgeable and self-sufficient populace.
