Costa Rica is limiting the entry of international drivers to transport goods and has established a procedure for the transport of goods that includes disinfecting the trucks that transport the goods.

On May 15, 2020, Costa Rica issued Decree Nos. 42351-H and 42350-MGP-S defining the conditions under which international drivers may enter the national territory to avoid the spread of COVID-19. Decree No. 42350-MGP-S establishes restrictive migratory sanitary measures aimed at drivers staying only in the customs territory (i.e., the area where customs operations take place). Decree No. 42351-H modifies the primary and secondary zones in Peñas Blancas and Paso Canoas. The primary zone is the same as the customs territory and the secondary zone is the free movement area.

According to the Government, these measures were taken after 31 carriers tested positive for COVID-19. The decrees went into effect on May 18, 2020

The decrees establish that drivers may only enter the facilities at Costa Rican land border posts to carry out the logistical operations required to guarantee the country's imports and exports of goods will keep being transported. Only Costa Rican or foreign drivers with legal status in the country will be allowed to transfer the merchandise into the national territory, including international drivers that transport goods from border to border (i.e., those going from Costa Rica to Panama without stopping). International drivers will be under strict monitoring and police surveillance. The Ministry of Public Security will oversee the process for transporting goods.

To guarantee the transport of imports and exports, the decrees establish a three-step procedure for the transport of goods. First, the international driver will transport the container/load to the primary customs territory and unhook it from the rig. Later, the Costa Rican driver will hook the container/load to the rig of his truck and transport the merchandise to the national territory. Finally, the rig will be disinfected and cleaned before the new driver occupies it.

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