TLC

Today in Costa Rica, the bill to institute free trade agreements between Costa Rica and China and Singapore was due to be signed into law. This will be the first between CR and any Asian country and will eventually see China becoming the second biggest market (overtaking the EU) for CR after the US.

On the plus side for Costa Rica will be a huge market for the high tech items and other exports (such as coffee) but on the downside will be the added exposure of Chinese economies of scale that are impossible to compete with for smaller Costa Rican firms and farmers.

A look into any shop here in Costa Rica will reveal an already high proportion of poorly-made Chinese products and Chinese food items (like the vegetables that were so "dangerous" in Japan). So I am ready for more crap that I don't need and don't want.