Puerto Rico: sanctions and trade risk

No elevated indicator

As of 7 November 2026, the screened UN, EU, UK, Swiss and US sanctions lists contain 0 companies, organisations, vessels and aircraft linked to Puerto Rico.Lists last checked 2026-11-07 21:01 UTC.

Logistics profile: ports, airports, customs, documents, holidays, news ↓

No elevated country indicator for Puerto Rico in the route rules Sanctioni uses. That is not a clearance: goods may still be export-controlled, and parties in Puerto Rico may still be on a list.

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On the sanctions lists

No entry on the 7 lists Sanctioni screens names Puerto Rico.

Latest changes

No new listings or removals naming Puerto Rico recorded yet.

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Logistics profile

Puerto Rico: logistics and trade

Caribbean hub / pharmaceutical production site

Puerto Rico (ISO code PR) lies in the Caribbean east of the Dominican Republic and is an unincorporated territory of the United States. The island has a high degree of self-government with an elected governor and legislature but is subject to US federal law. The climate is tropical and maritime, with high year-round temperatures, high humidity and a pronounced rainy season. The economy is dominated by services, especially tourism and finance, complemented by pharmaceutical, electronics and food manufacturing. Puerto Rico exports pharmaceuticals, chemicals and electronics while depending heavily on imports of food, energy and consumer goods. Its logistics importance stems from the seaports of San Juan, Ponce and Mayaguez and from international airports that serve as Caribbean trade and transport hubs. As part of the US customs territory, trade with the US mainland moves duty-free as domestic traffic. The currency is the US dollar (USD).

Capital: San Juan
Population: 3,200,000
Area: 9,104 km²
Currency: US dollar (USD)
Continent: North America
Region: Caribbean
Economic area: US customs territory (part of the USA)
Religions: Christianity
Access to the sea: Yes

Transport modes Sea · Air · Road

Current situation: Grid operator LUMA: recurring power outages burden cold chains and operations (status 2026). Port of San Juan remains the main gateway to the island.
Seasonal conditions: Atlantic hurricane season June to November with risk of port and airport closures and supply interruptions.

Main seaports

San Juan
San Juan (PR SJU) moves over 80% of Puerto Rico's container trade via Puerto Nuevo (Crowley, TOTE): US customs territory, Jones Act lanes.
Playa De Ponce
Ponce (PRPSE), Puerto Rico's second-largest dry-cargo port: containers, Ro-Ro, bulk, post-Panamax cranes. High-volume container lines mostly via San Juan.
Mayaguez
Mayagüez (PRMAZ), western Puerto Rico: the island's third-busiest port, tuna exports, an open roadstead (~7.9 m) and a ro-pax ferry to the Dominican Republic.
Playa De Guayanilla
Playa de Guayanilla (PRGUY), an energy and liquid-bulk port on Puerto Rico's south coast: oil, chemicals, LNG, LPG. Not a container port — use San Juan.
Las Mareas
Las Mareas (PR LAM) near Guayama is a liquid-bulk energy port for petroleum and chemicals, not a container port. Containers and mixed cargo via Ponce or San Juan.
Puerto Yabucoa
Puerto Yabucoa (PRPYA), Puerto Rico: deep-water energy port (Buckeye tank farm) for petroleum, LPG and bulk. Containers via San Juan.

Main cargo airports

Luis Munoz Marin International AirportSJU
SJU San Juan: Puerto Rico's largest cargo airport. Pharma exports, cold chain, FTZ 61, FedEx/UPS/DHL, Caribbean feeders, Jones Act sea-air options. Freight facts.
Rafael Hernández International AirportBQN
BQN Aguadilla: longest runway in the Caribbean (11,702 ft), former Ramey AFB, Lufthansa Technik MRO, FedEx terminal, freighter charters. Cargo facts for forwarders.
Mercedita AirportPSE
Mercedita Airport (PSE) Ponce: minimal air cargo (0–50,000 lbs/year per GAO), JetBlue to Orlando/New York. Freight routes via San Juan or the Port of Ponce.

Road corridors

PR-22 / José de Diego (San Juan–Aguadilla)
PR-52 / Luis A. Ferré (San Juan–Ponce)
PR-26 / Baldorioty de Castro (San Juan)

Main trade lanes

US mainland–San Juan
Jacksonville–San Juan
San Juan–Caribbean

Customs and import

Customs authority U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP); local import tax: Departamento de Hacienda de Puerto RicoOfficial website ↗

Import customs system: Part of the US customs territory: imports from abroad are processed via US CBP / ACE under the US tariff (HTSUS); additionally, local import and use tax filing via the Hacienda portal PICO/SURI.
Export customs system: Shipments to the US mainland are domestic traffic without customs duties. Export abroad: US export processing via AES/ACE (Schedule B); EEI filing from 2'500 USD per commodity code.
Import VAT: No US federal value added tax; local sales and use tax (IVU) of 11,5 percent (10,5 percent island plus 1 percent municipality), also applied to imports and collected via PICO/SURI.
Proofs of origin and trade agreements: US trade agreements (e.g. USMCA) apply. Goods traffic between Puerto Rico and the US mainland is domestic traffic and requires no proof of origin.
Restricted and prohibited goods: US federal regulations apply (FDA, USDA/APHIS, ATF). Jones Act cabotage: sea traffic between US ports only with US-flagged ships.

Typical import documents

Commercial invoice
Packing list
Bill of Lading / Air Waybill
CBP entry declaration (Entry)
Hacienda import declaration (PICO, SC 2970)

Typical export documents

Commercial invoice
Packing list
Bill of Lading / Air Waybill
Electronic Export Information (EEI/AES, Schedule B)

Logistics conditions

Customs complexity: Medium
Customs delays: Medium
Port congestion: Medium
Dangerous goods relevance: Medium
E-commerce relevance: Medium to high

Trade

Top import partners

United States China Ireland Germany Japan

Top export partners

United States Ireland Germany Netherlands Belgium

Top import goods

Petroleum products
Machinery
Vehicles
Electronics
Chemicals

Top export goods

Pharmaceuticals
Chemicals
Electronics
Rum

Typical cargo

Pharmaceuticals
Consumer goods
Food
Petroleum products
Electronics
Construction materials

Logistics questions

Do shipments from the US mainland to Puerto Rico need customs clearance?

No. Puerto Rico is part of the US customs territory, so trade with the mainland is domestic and duty-free. However, the local use tax (IVU) may still apply.

What import tax applies in Puerto Rico?

There is no US federal VAT. Locally a Sales and Use Tax (IVU) of 11.5 percent applies (10.5 percent island plus 1 percent municipal), levied also on imports.

What is PICO and what is it for?

PICO (Portal Integrado del Comerciante) is the portal of the tax authority Hacienda. Importers must declare imported goods there and pay the use tax to obtain release of the merchandise.

What does the Jones Act mean for transport to Puerto Rico?

The Jones Act requires goods moved between US ports, including between the mainland and Puerto Rico, to travel on US-flagged, US-built and US-crewed vessels, which raises sea freight costs.

What are the main ports and airports?

The main seaport is San Juan (Puerto Nuevo), followed by Ponce and Mayaguez. The leading air cargo gateway is Luis Munoz Marin (SJU) with about 90 percent of air freight; Aguadilla (BQN) ranks second.

What seasonal logistics risks exist?

The Atlantic hurricane season from June to November can cause port and airport closures and supply disruptions. Recurring power outages also strain cold chains.

Full logistics profile on Freight Academy ↗