The government of Costa Rica has asked the United States (U.S.) to avoid placing tariffs on medical device exports from the country, which has recently become a hotspot for manufacturers. Costa Rica’s leaders are concerned that the country may face tariffs as a result of a Section 232 investigation launched by the Trump Administration in September 2025. Section 232, part of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, allows the Secretary of Commerce to determine the effects on the national security of imports of personal protective equipment, medical consumables, and medical equipment including devices.
Section 232 allows the president to impose restrictions on imports, or to negotiate with trading partners following an investigation that determines an import poses a “threat to impair” U.S. national security. Under the rule, investigations may be initiated based on an application from an interested party, a request from the head of any department or agency, or may be self-initiated by the Secretary of Commerce.
Trump has used Section 232 on automobiles, copper, steel, and aluminum as a way to ensure that tariffs remain intact, even if the Supreme Court rules them illegal. He has warned that new Section 232 tariffs against medical devices could begin in 2026.
In October 2025, Manuel Tovar, Costa Rica’s foreign trade minister, wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Commerce calling for relief from any potential tariffs, and noting that the country’s medical device exports “strengthen the competitiveness and resilience of the U.S. health care system.”
Major U.S. device manufacturer Boston Scientific also joined the Costa Rican government in asking for reprieve. The company has three plants in Costa Rica, where it employs 7,000 people. Boston Scientific submitted a brief to the U.S. government asking for tariff exclusions for Costa Rica and other Central American countries. Boston Scientific noted that these Central American countries are “an essential part of the U.S. medical supply chain,” and any tariffs against them could raise costs for Americans.
Costa Rica is working with other Central American trade partners, as well as U.S. medical device industry groups, to protest any new tariff measures. The medical device industry in Costa Rica has boomed over the last year, in large part due to a lack of tariffs imposed by the U.S. government. While the Trump Administration has levied substantial tariffs against trade partners like China, Mexico, and Canada, Costa Rica has thus far been safe from the burden.
As a result, several key medical manufacturers have expanded their presence in the country in 2025. Between January and September 2025, the medical device sector in Costa Rica grew 15% year-over-year. Medical devices are now Costa Rica’s top export sector. More than 50% of medical devices made in the country are exported to the U.S.
Fourteen of the world’s top 30 life sciences multinationals have operations in Costa Rica, and in 2025 alone,
- Freudenberg Medical opened its second facility in Costa Rica;
- Amcor announced it was expanding its healthcare packaging network with a new warehouse and distribution facility in Costa Rica;
- DuPont became the first company in Costa Rica and the Caribbean to produce fluid management and sterile packaging offerings for the medical device industry;
- ProMed Molded Products built a production facility in Costa Rica;
- Nelipak opened a new facility in the country; and
- Cirtec Medical is significantly expanded its Costa Rican presence by more than doubling its operations at its Coyol Free Zone campus.
These are just a handful of major players in the medical device space that have manufacturing sites in the country, which provides easy access to the nearby U.S. market.
REFERENCE: Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry (MD+DI); 06 NOV 2025; Claire Wallace