SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, Jan 22 (Reuters) -

Costa Rica's economy is expected to grow 2.2 percent this year, slower than in 2008, but inflation is likely to ease, the central bank said on Thursday. Costa Rica's economy expanded by 2.9 percent in 2008. "Beginning in the second quarter of 2008, the Costa Rican economy again met external pressures: international prices of prime materials (basic grains and oil) increased sharply, pressuring domestic inflation," the agency said in a statement. The bank said it sees 2009 inflation at 9 percent, compared with last year's overall consumer price increase of 14 percent. The Central American nation's economy is suffering from declining exports, mainly due to the slowdown in the United States, a key trade partner. For more go http://www.thecostaricanews.com