Costa Rica has signed a free-trade agreement with China but the deal still needs congressional approval.
Foreign Commerce Minister Vinicio Ruiz says that he expects lawmakers to approve the agreement next year.
Ruiz said in a statement that he and China's Commerce Minister Chen Deming signed the agreement Thursday in Beijing.
The commerce minister said that the pact will help increase trade with China by 10 percent. Trade between the two countries rose from $68 million in 1999 to $1.5 billion last year.
Costa Rica officially recognized China in June 2008, after years of allying itself with Taiwan. Most of Central America still grants diplomatic recognition to Taiwan, which China claims is part of its territory.
