- Julio Rodriguez US Customs Broker
- Services
- PR Excise Tax and SURI
Puerto Rico excise tax, SURI and the island-side clearance
Freight into Puerto Rico clears twice: once with CBP, and once with Hacienda for the island's excise tax, the arbitrios, declared through SURI. Mainland brokers routinely handle the first half and leave importers stranded on the second. We are a San Juan brokerage. The island side is not an add-on for us; it is home.
What the island side actually requires
Puerto Rico levies excise taxes on many goods entering the island, administered by the Departamento de Hacienda through SURI, its online tax system. Cargo is not truly free to move until the excise side is presented and cleared. We prepare and present the excise declarations, handle the SURI filings, and coordinate the release so the CBP clearance and the Hacienda clearance land together instead of weeks apart.
Agricultural and plant-related goods add a third layer: APHIS permits. We handle those too, which matters on an island where a missing agricultural permit can hold a container full of otherwise cleared freight.
Why this is the moat
Ask a Florida broker about SURI and you will usually get a referral. This is the filing environment we have worked in since 2007, in Spanish, with Hacienda, from our office in Cataño, across the bay from the port. If your supply chain touches Puerto Rico, using a broker who lives on the island side of the paperwork is the difference between a clearance and a mystery.
It works in both directions: mainland companies shipping into PR get a broker who speaks Hacienda's language, and island companies importing from abroad get CBP, excise and APHIS handled under one roof, with the mainland offices covering the Florida end of the same freight.
Puerto Rico's own rules
Hacienda, arbitrios (excise taxes)Official
Excise filings are made only through SURI.
Hacienda, information for importersOfficial
The Treasury's page for importers on the import declaration and the sales and use tax.
FAQ
What is the Puerto Rico excise tax on imports?
Puerto Rico levies excise taxes, the arbitrios, on many goods entering the island, administered by Hacienda separately from federal customs duties. The rate depends on the goods, and the declaration goes through SURI.
What is SURI?
Hacienda's online system, the Sistema Unificado de Rentas Internas, where Puerto Rico tax declarations including import excise filings are presented. We file SURI declarations for importers daily.
Does clearing US customs also clear Puerto Rico excise tax?
No. CBP clearance and the Hacienda excise presentation are separate processes, and freight needs both. We coordinate them together so the island release is not an afterthought.
Can a mainland customs broker handle PR excise tax?
Most do not; excise and SURI are outside their daily practice. We are based in Cataño, minutes from the Port of San Juan, and handle excise presentation and clearance as core work, alongside the CBP entry.
Do I need an APHIS permit to ship to Puerto Rico?
Agricultural, plant and certain food products can require APHIS permits for movement to or from the island. We handle the permits as part of the clearance rather than leaving them for the dock to discover.
Clear both sides of the water
Tell us what you are moving to or from Puerto Rico. One brokerage handles CBP, excise, SURI and APHIS so the freight clears once, completely.
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