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Commodity watch · updated Nov 13, 7:44 AM EST

Costa Rica: commodities

For every crop USDA forecasts and every country that matters for it: USDA's crop outlook, the weather forecast over the main growing regions at the crop's stage, trade, prices and hedge funds' bets, and how much our sources are saying about it. A plain score from 0 to 100 says how much the supply looks at risk, and when the risk is real but the news is quiet, the watch raises a flag. Now: 800 cards for 62 commodities, 5 flagged.

Palm kernels

0· no cut expected
CropUSDA: 68,000 t in 2026/27, down 0% on last year
TradeImports 45,000 t, 22% of the world's
MarketPalm kernel oil $2,287/mt in October, down 2.9% on the month, up 0.6% on the year, the lowest since August 2026
NewsNo reports in our sources in the last 14 days

Bought from the US

USDA's weekly export sales, the week to October 29, 2026: new sales less cancellations, and this marketing year's shipments.

CommodityThis weekShipped this year
corn64,635 t87,965 ta year earlier 108,077
soybeans25,000 t32,197 ta year earlier 45,830
pork215 t12,843 ta year earlier 7,751
beef8 t707 ta year earlier 544
wheat0 t28,625 ta year earlier 78,687
soybean oil0 t0 ta year earlier 0
upland cotton0 bales27,448 balesa year earlier 22,031
rice0 t20 ta year earlier 56
soybean meal-5,045 t5,948 ta year earlier 14,907

Who buys its commodities

Its biggest commodity exports (farm, energy, metals) in 2024 and their main buyers, by value (CEPII BACI, January 2026 release, from UN trade statistics; Etalab Open Licence 2.0).

  • Coffee $448 millionUnited States 31%, Belgium-Luxembourg (...1998) 21%, Switzerland 19%, Fed. Rep. of Germany (...1990) 4.5%
  • Palm oil $211 millionNetherlands 42%, Mexico 34%, Fed. Rep. of Germany (...1990) 13%, Nicaragua 7.2%
  • Beef $154 millionUnited States 46%, China 23%, El Salvador 15%, Guatemala 6.9%
  • Sugar $118 millionUnited States 69%, Fed. Rep. of Germany (...1990) 6%, United Kingdom 4.8%, Bahamas 3.4%
  • Platinum $64 millionUnited States 62%, Malaysia 38%, Singapore 0%
  • Orange juice $63 millionUnited States 74%, China 8.4%, Netherlands 3.8%, Panama 2.6%
  • Gold $41 millionUnited States 100%, Panama 0%, Sweden 0%, Nicaragua 0%
  • Whole milk powder $35 millionGuatemala 27%, Nicaragua 27%, El Salvador 26%, Honduras 10%
  • Palm kernel oil $35 millionMexico 37%, Spain 26%, Netherlands 19%, Fed. Rep. of Germany (...1990) 17%
  • Soybean oil $23 millionPanama 51%, El Salvador 38%, Nicaragua 6.6%, Honduras 3.9%

Where its commodities come from

Its biggest commodity imports in 2024 and where they come from, by value.

  • Corn (maize) $229 millionUnited States 64%, Brazil 35%, Nicaragua 0.4%, Mexico 0.4%
  • Rice $161 millionBrazil 62%, Uruguay 17%, Paraguay 6.8%, Argentina 5.8%
  • Soybeans $126 millionUnited States 64%, Brazil 36%, Canada 0%, China 0%
  • Pork $96 millionUnited States 60%, Chile 36%, Canada 3.9%, United Kingdom 0%
  • Wheat $92 millionCanada 73%, United States 27%, El Salvador 0.4%, Italy 0%
  • Beef $88 millionNicaragua 64%, United States 28%, Mexico 6.9%, Chile 1.2%
  • Soybean meal $64 millionUnited States 91%, Argentina 8.3%, Brazil 0.4%, Fed. Rep. of Germany (...1990) 0%
  • Cheese $56 millionUnited States 83%, El Salvador 6.1%, Netherlands 3.9%, Italy 3.8%
  • Urea $46 millionRussia 62%, China 12%, Finland 7.1%, United Arab Emirates 7%
  • Potash $40 millionCanada 68%, China 12%, Russia 8.1%, Belarus 5.6%

Costa Rica's country page

Prices, October 2026

The World Bank's monthly averages in US dollars (the Pink Sheet, updated November 3), against the month before and a year before. Licensed CC BY 4.0.

CommodityPriceMonthYear
Energy
Crude oil, average108.5 $/bbl+6.1%+72.2%
Crude oil, Brent125 $/bbl+7%+93.2%
Crude oil, Dubai102.7 $/bbl+10.1%+59.7%
Crude oil, WTI97.7 $/bbl+0.8%+62.3%
Coal, Australian152.3 $/mt+3.5%+41.7%
Coal, South African100 $/mt+1.8%+9.2%
Natural gas, US2.96 $/mmbtu+0.3%−7.5%
Natural gas, Europe28.5 $/mmbtu+12.1%+161.7%
Liquefied natural gas, Japan16.59 $/mmbtu+2%+49.5%
Natural gas index182.7 2010=100+8.9%+86.2%
Beverages
Cocoa5.75 $/kg−2.9%−3.4%
Coffee, Arabica7.4 $/kg+1.9%−16.9%
Coffee, Robusta3.63 $/kg−1.6%−23.4%
Tea, avg 3 auctions2.88 $/kg+0.7%−4.3%
Tea, Colombo3.75 $/kg+0.5%−4.8%
Tea, Kolkata2.55 $/kg+0.8%−10.8%
Tea, Mombasa2.33 $/kg+1.3%+4.5%
Food
Coconut oil2,029 $/mt−2.4%−20.3%
Groundnuts1,600 $/mt+2.4%+33.3%
Fish meal2,840 $/mt−2.6%+60.5%
Groundnut oil1,850 $/mt−0.5%+13.6%
Palm oil1,120 $/mt−5.1%+7.9%
Palm kernel oil2,287 $/mt−2.9%+0.6%
Soybeans515 $/mt−1.7%+27.5%
Soybean oil1,546 $/mt−4.3%+36.6%
Soybean meal453 $/mt+1.3%+27.2%
Rapeseed oil1,405 $/mt−2.6%+11.2%
Sunflower oil1,413 $/mt+1.4%+3.7%
Barley80.4 $/mtAugust 2020——
Maize226.5 $/mt−5.5%+14.3%
Sorghum189.5 $/mtAugust 2020——
Rice, Thai 5%489 $/mt+1.5%+37.4%
Rice, Thai 25%472 $/mt+2.4%+34.5%
Rice, Thai A.1467.4 $/mt−1.2%+39.1%
Rice, Viet Namese 5%413.9 $/mt−1.1%+13.2%
Wheat, US SRW260.3 $/mt−6.6%+24.4%
Wheat, US HRW317 $/mt−8.6%+37.3%
Banana, Europe1.1 $/kg−1.8%−2.7%
Banana, US1.18 $/kg+5.4%+4.4%
Orange0.75 $/kg−5.1%−28.6%
Beef6.83 $/kg−0.4%−3.7%
Chicken1.84 $/kg+1.7%+7%
Lamb7.48 $/kg+3%+18.2%
Shrimps, Mexican8.6 $/kgOctober 2023——
Sugar, EU0.37 $/kg−2.6%−2.6%
Sugar, US0.92 $/kg+8.2%+19.5%
Sugar, world0.43 $/kg+4.9%+26.5%
Raw materials
Tobacco, US import u.v.6,775 $/mtJuly 2026——
Logs, Cameroon392.1 $/cubic meter−2.7%−3.7%
Logs, Malaysian188.5 $/cubic meter−0.9%−4.1%
Sawnwood, Cameroon636.8 $/cubic meter−0.9%−0.5%
Sawnwood, Malaysian724.3 $/cubic meter−1%−0.5%
Plywood345.8 cents/sheet−0.9%−4.1%
Cotton, A Index2 $/kg−4.8%+19%
Rubber, TSR202.55 $/kg+5.8%+49.1%
Rubber, RSS32.83 $/kg+2.9%+41.5%
Fertilizers
Phosphate rock170 $/mt0%+11.5%
DAP803.1 $/mt+0.3%+6.5%
TSP692 $/mt+0.3%+5.1%
Urea420 $/mt+3.1%+6.5%
Potassium chloride357.5 $/mt−2.7%+1.6%
Metals and minerals
Aluminum3,061 $/mt−6.8%+9.6%
Iron ore, cfr spot90.8 $/dmtu−7.1%−12.3%
Copper14,508 $/mt+0.2%+35.1%
Lead1,860 $/mt−0.7%−5.5%
Tin51,696 $/mt−3.8%+43.6%
Nickel15,436 $/mt−5.4%+2.3%
Zinc3,818 $/mt−5%+21.1%
Precious metals
Gold4,105 $/troy oz−5%+1.2%
Platinum1,621 $/troy oz−9.1%+0.3%
Silver57 $/troy oz−11.8%+15.4%

The record

Each card's score calls USDA's next revision of the country's crop: 50 or more “cut likely”, 30 to 49 “cut possible”, under 30 “no cut expected”. When USDA revises (grains, oilseeds and cotton every month, about the 10th; coffee and sugar twice a year), the last call before it is checked against what USDA did.

CallCallsUSDA cutRaisedUnchanged
no cut expected4033032341
cut possible1010

Sources

Crop figures: USDA FAS (PSD, Weekly Export Sales). Prices: World Bank Commodity Price Data (The Pink Sheet), CC BY 4.0. Hedge funds: CFTC Commitments of Traders. Weather: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0), normals from NASA POWER. Trade partners: CEPII BACI (Etalab Open Licence 2.0). Crop calendars after USDA FAS's; growing regions are the main ones of each main producer.

The same readings as data, free: GET /api/v1/commodities (and /map, /country/{code}, /prices, /weather, /scorecard).