Representatives from Holland, Chile, China, Singapore and the United States are among the companies this week eyeing major port projects on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast.

The Public Works and Transport Ministry on Tuesday hosted interested parties in San José to hear proposals for the Moín and Limón port projects.

With plans as far ahead as 2030, the forecast for the two ports will require an investor with long-term interest in modernizing the two ports.

The companies include China's Hutchinson Ports Development Limited, Taiwan's Evergreen, Colombia's Sociedad Portuaria de Cartagena and the U.S. MIT Panama/SSA International.

In 2007, 81 percent of Costa Rica's exports were done by sea, so the obvious importance of this project is appealing. The projects aim to differentiate the uses of each port, with Limón as a hub for tourists and cruise ships and Moín for cargo. Both of these ports require substantial financial support and construction before administering their separate uses.