Costa Rica joins digital trade agreement founded by S’pore, New Zealand and Chile

(From left) Then South Korea Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo, Costa Rica Foreign Trade Minister Indiana Trejos, New Zealand Minister for Trade and Investment Todd McClay, Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong and Chile's Undersecretary for International Economic Relations Paula Estevez during the presentation of Costa Rica’s Instrument of Accession in Auckland, New Zealand.

PHOTO: SINGAPORE MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Published Sep 17, 2026, 10:09 AM

Updated Sep 17, 2026, 10:09 AM

Costa Rica has become the fifth member of the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), joining Singapore, New Zealand, Chile, and South Korea to promote digital trade and economic collaboration.

DEPA sets rules on digital identities, cross-border data flows, and AI, helping especially smaller businesses engage in digital commerce with shared high standards.

Members see Costa Rica's accession as a milestone that will strengthen DEPA, enhance digital cooperation, and foster sustainable growth and opportunities across Latin America and beyond.

SINGAPORE - Costa Rica has joined the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), founded by Singapore, New Zealand and Chile, as its fifth member.

DEPA, which came into effect in January 2021, establishes key rules on digital trade and economic collaborations on issues such as digital identities, cross-border data flows and artificial intelligence to help businesses, especially smaller ones, engage in digital trade and electronic commerce.

Costa Rica was presented with the Instrument of Accession on the sidelines of the Future of Investment and Trade Partnership meeting in Auckland, New Zealand.

A joint statement by DEPA members on Sept 17 said Costa Rica’s successful accession represented a meaningful milestone and demonstrated the growing global interest in high-quality digital trade rules and cooperation.

“The accession of Costa Rica is testament to the agreement’s open and inclusive nature,” the statement said.

“The expansion of DEPA to include Costa Rica will strengthen the agreement and provide parties with greater opportunities to collaborate on digital economy initiatives.”

Costa Rica’s accession follows the announcement of the substantial conclusion of discussions in January 2025 and the completion of legal procedures.

In welcoming Costa Rica as DEPA’s latest member, Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, Ms Grace Fu, said: “This continues our momentum to keep the DEPA as an open and inclusive agreement to all economies that are able to meet its high standards.

“I look forward to deepening Singapore’s collaborations on the digital economy with Costa Rica.”

Costa Rica’s Minister for Foreign Trade Indiana Trejos said her country looked forward to actively contributing to the DEPA and working closely with all partners to strengthen digital trade and deepen cooperation.

“Together, we aim to ensure that our businesses are well positioned to seize the opportunities created by the digital transformation, while fostering sustainable economic growth and creating new opportunities for businesses and our people,” she added.

Chile’s Undersecretary for International Economic Relations, Paula Estevez, New Zealand’s Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay and South Korea’s Trade Minister Jung Sung Park also welcomed Costa Rica.

Estevez said the participation of another Latin American country in DEPA represented a valuable opportunity to strengthen digital integration across the Latin America region and foster new opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs.

Chile, New Zealand and Singapore signed DEPA in June 2020, with South Korea joining the trade agreement in May 2024 as its fourth member .

Costa Rica formally applied to join the trade deal in Dec 23, 2022.

Free trade agreement

（从左至右）时任韩国贸易部长吕汉九、哥斯达黎加外贸部长印第安娜·特雷霍斯、新西兰贸易投资部长托德·麦克莱、新加坡副总理兼贸易工业部长颜金勇和智利国际经济关系副部长保拉·埃斯特韦斯在新西兰奥克兰出席哥斯达黎加加入文书的宣读仪式。

图片来源：新加坡贸易与工业部

发布于 2026 年 9 月 17 日上午 10:09

更新于2026年9月17日上午10:09

哥斯达黎加已成为数字经济伙伴关系协定（DEPA）的第五个成员国，与新加坡、新西兰、智利和韩国一起促进数字贸易和经济合作。

DEPA制定了关于数字身份、跨境数据流动和人工智能的规则，帮助规模较小的企业以共同的高标准参与数字商务。

成员国认为哥斯达黎加的加入是一个里程碑，这将加强 DEPA，促进数字合作，并推动拉丁美洲及其他地区的可持续增长和发展机遇。

新加坡——哥斯达黎加已加入由新加坡、新西兰和智利创立的数字经济伙伴关系协议（DEPA），成为该协议的第五个成员。

DEPA 于 2021 年 1 月生效，它针对数字身份、跨境数据流动和人工智能等问题，制定了数字贸易和经济合作的关键规则，以帮助企业，特别是小型企业，参与数字贸易和电子商务。

在新西兰奥克兰举行的未来投资与贸易伙伴关系会议期间，哥斯达黎加获颁加入文书。

9 月 17 日，DEPA 成员发表联合声明称，哥斯达黎加成功加入 DEPA 是一个重要的里程碑，表明全球对高质量数字贸易规则与合作的兴趣日益浓厚。

声明称：“哥斯达黎加的加入证明了该协议的开放性和包容性。”

“将哥斯达黎加纳入数字经济伙伴关系协定（DEPA）将加强该协定，并为各方在数字经济倡议方面提供更多合作机会。”

哥斯达黎加的加入是在宣布于 2025 年 1 月实质性结束磋商以及完成法律程序之后进行的。

新加坡永续发展与环境部长兼贸易关系部长傅海燕女士在欢迎哥斯达黎加成为DEPA最新成员时表示：“这延续了我们保持DEPA开放包容的势头，让所有能够达到其高标准的经济体都能加入其中。”

“我期待深化新加坡与哥斯达黎加在数字经济领域的合作。”

哥斯达黎加外贸部长印第安娜·特雷霍斯表示，哥斯达黎加期待积极为数字经济伙伴关系协定（DEPA）做出贡献，并与所有合作伙伴密切合作，以加强数字贸易并深化合作。

她补充说：“我们共同的目标是确保我们的企业能够抓住数字化转型带来的机遇，同时促进可持续的经济增长，并为企业和我们的人民创造新的机遇。”

智利国际经济关系部副部长宝拉·埃斯特韦斯、新西兰贸易和投资部长托德·麦克莱以及韩国贸易部长朴正成也对哥斯达黎加的到访表示欢迎。

埃斯特韦斯表示，另一个拉丁美洲国家参与DEPA，为加强整个拉丁美洲地区的数字化一体化，并为企业和企业家创造新的机遇提供了宝贵的机会。

智利、新西兰和新加坡于 2020 年 6 月签署了《经济和贸易协定》(DEPA)，韩国于 2024 年 5 月作为第四个成员加入该贸易协定。

哥斯达黎加于 2022 年 12 月 23 日正式申请加入该贸易协定。

自由贸易协定