Known to many Americans as a popular spring break destination, Costa Rica is home to over 5 million people and serves as a key U.S. trading partner in Latin America. A stable democratic republic, Costa Rica has long been one of the most economically open nations in the region, trading billions of dollars with the United States. Today, a proposed ban on nicotine pouches threatens more than the liberties of Costa Ricans — it carries real consequences for everyday Americans.

Costa Rica recently notified the World Trade Organization of a sweeping ban on the registration, import, export, manufacture, distribution, and sale of nontherapeutic oral nicotine products, including widely used brands such as Zyn and Velo. While framed as a public health measure, the policy raises a much more pressing question for the public: what happens when one of our closest economic partners starts shutting out U.S. products based on flawed policy?