SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — U.S. Customs and Border Protection released Thursday the Trade and Travel Report: Fiscal Year 2020, which describes measures the agency took to protect the American people, safeguard our borders, and enhance the nation’s economic prosperity in the latest fiscal year.
CBP’s San Juan Field Operations, which includes all ports of entry within Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, remains an integral part of its National initiatives to facilitate trade and travel.
“Despite unprecedented challenges, operations in the US Caribbean remain steadfast in securing the supply chain, protecting the American public, and adapting to the emerging challenges,” said Gregory Alvarez, Director of Field Operations for the San Juan Field Office.
After a decade of continued growth in international travel, the COVID-19 pandemic sharply reduced travel to and from the United States. In Fiscal Year 2020, CBP operations in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands processed nearly 2.4 million passengers in the land, air, and sea environments.
During the pandemic, CBP continued to introduce technologies to create a traveler experience that is secure, straightforward, and best-in-class. For example:
- Started the Mobile Passport Control Application (MPC) for use at Puerto Rico seaport terminals and at the Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport.
- Using the Mobile Primary Program technology in the USVI Pre-Departure environment to process 706,822 passengers—this number accounts for 89% of the total usage among CBP ports nationwide.
- The San Juan Field Office provides Global Entry Enrollment services to the public at the Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and for USVI residents at the Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas. During FY 2020, San Juan Airport Global Entry Enrollment Center registered 4,697 applicants and the number of passengers processed was 19,719. On Sep., 2020 the San Juan Global Entry Enrollment Center inaugurated a new facility at Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport.
- In Feb. 2020, started offering Enrollment on Arrival to passengers arriving at Luis Munoz Marin International Airport. The facility provides services to residents of Puerto Rico and the nearby 26 Caribbean islands, as well as to travelers passing by thru the region.
Throughout the pandemic, CBP has remained focused on its mission to promote a level playing field for American businesses, protect consumers, and reduce trading costs. In Fiscal Year 2020, CBP San Juan Field Operations:
- Supported federal government services and promoted a competitive global marketplace for American businesses by collecting $237 million in duties, taxes, and other fees;
- Conducted more than 50 Priority Trade Issue (PTI) trade enforcement operations aimed at targeting merchandise misclassifications, broker incompliance, the circumvention of Antidumping/Countervailing (ADD/CVD) duties, International Property Rights (IPR) violations, and for the detection of imports posing safety and health threats to consumers.
- These operations generated over 2,579 Trade Seizures; 2,443 of which were IPR related. The estimated Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of the IPR-related seized items is over $46,188,951.
In addition to interdicting illicit drugs and currency, CBP remains committed to containing emerging and rapidly-evolving biological threats to U.S. agriculture, American consumers, and the environment. In Fiscal Year 2020, CBP agriculture specialists issued 407 Emergency Action Notifications, submitted 2,374 pests for identification, and intercepted 12,882 quarantine materials. CBPAS also examined 19,500 conveyances and 6,695 cargo shipments.
