Chinese Government provides $12 million grant for Container Inspection Equipment Project

In 2008, the Chinese Government donated two mobile scanners to the Government of Costa Rica. Each scanner was worth $6 million. The scanners were equipped with X-ray technology for examining the contents of vehicles and containers.

The recipient of the donation was the Costa Rica Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) and the scanners were to be used at the Port of Limón.

According to a 2018 work report (INFORME DE LABORES), the scanners were used in tests but never for daily operation, as the port of Limón lacked the Internet and electrical connections for the scanners, which would instead require a diesel generator and could not operate in the rain. The reported cost of maintaining the scanners was $400,000 annually, and they were only used for specific containers.

In 2015, they were taken to the State Phytosanitary (Plant Health) Service for further evaluation.

The State Phytosanitary Service discovered that the scanners were unable to distinguish between organic and inorganic materials, and the Government of Costa Rica decided not to renew the contract to maintain the equipment.

Then, in July 2016, the Government of Costa Rica rejected a second offer from the Chinese Government of three additional container inspection equipment scanners (see Record ID#54880).