The Ministry of Foreign Trade (Spanish: Ministerio de Comercio Exterior, COMEX) is the government ministry of Costa Rica responsible for defining and directing the country's external trade and foreign investment policy, as well as handling non-contentious international administration and representing the Costa Rican state abroad in trade and investment matters.

[1] On December 29, 1995, during José María Figueres Olsen's government, 15 members of the National Liberation Party's parliamentary group presented a bill with the aim of creating the Ministry of Foreign Trade (COMEX) and the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promoter (PROCOMER).

They noted that in the previous years, foreign trade had been the main driver of Costa Rica's economy, but the legislation governing the institutional framework was outdated.

[1] The proposal was referred to the Special State Reforms Commission,[2] and it received unanimous approval on April 23, 1996.

[3] During the first reading, the bill garnered 38 votes in favor and 2 against, with the opposing votes coming from left-wing party deputies Gerardo Trejos Salas (Democratic Force) and Rodrigo Gutiérrez Schwanhauser (New Democratic Party).