Puerto Rico Trump Tariffs
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Puerto Rico absorbed one of its steepest tariff shocks in more than a decade last year, as federal trade policies under President Donald Trump dramatically reshaped the cost of importing goods into the island, according to a report from Estudios Técnicos.
Citing a 2026 analysis by the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics, the U.S. territory paid $919.7 million in tariffs in 2025, nearly four times the $236.6 million recorded the previous year. The surge reflects the sweeping tariff actions implemented throughout 2025, when the White House expanded duties to cover 54% of all U.S. imports, using a mix of trade statutes including Sections 122, 301, 201 and 232 of federal commercial law.
The policy shift relied heavily on emergency powers such as the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a tool the U.S. Supreme Court struck down on Feb. 20 of this year. Even so, other trade authorities kept most tariffs in place through the end of 2025.
With the expansion of big capital, there are no countries around the world able to stay by themselves; they are going to be smashed by the big capitalist economy.
As President Petro of Colombia said, we are witnessing the elimination of the nation-state; they do not care to violate the so-called sovereignty of the nations, constitutions and independence
Presidents and leaders can be assassinated or kidnapped; they are not wearing the masks of democracy and freedom; they are openly carrying out their barbaric plans, and openly saying: We want your natural resources.
A small island like Puerto Rico, with a heavy dependence on the USA capitalist class, can be completely economically destroyed if it becomes independent, as Cuba experienced a trade embargo for more than 60 years.
At present, the Puerto Rican workers are experiencing all kinds of economic, social and financial difficulties: a severe water crisis due to climate disaster, corruption and unmaintained infrastructure, budget crisis, debts and unemployment.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260902234457.htm
Extreme drought now covers 44% of Puerto Rico
Date:
September 4, 2026
Source:
NASA Earth Observatory
Summary:
Puerto Rico’s normally rainy season has instead brought a severe and fast-growing drought. By August 25, three-quarters of the territory was in at least moderate drought, with extreme drought covering 44 percent and some areas receiving less than 20 percent of their usual rainfall. Water shortages have forced rationing, while farmers are losing crops and ranchers are running low on hay. The situation has become serious enough to trigger both local and federal disaster declarations.https://periodismoinvestigativo.com/2026/03/population-decline-driven-deaths-not-migration/
For the third straight year, Puerto Rico’s population decline is being driven by deaths, not migration
A report published by the U.S. Census Bureau in January on population estimates shows that Puerto Rico’s population shrank in 2025 compared with the previous year. It also marks the third consecutive year in which the loss of residents was driven primarily by deaths rather than net migration, a measure calculated by subtracting the number of people leaving from the number arriving. After the Census announcement, several Puerto Rico news outlets reported on and discussed the figures while incorrectly suggesting that the population decline reflected a new wave of migration, even though this indicator has been falling in a nearly steady pattern.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/u-s-declares-drought-disaster-for-parts-of-puerto-rico-after-driest-month-on-record-for-san-juan
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U.S. declares drought disaster for parts of Puerto Rico after driest month on record for San Juan
Nation Aug 26, 2026 5:16 PM EDT
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The U.S. government announced a drought disaster on Wednesday for more than two dozen cities and towns in Puerto Rico as water woes deepen across the U.S. Caribbean territory, with no relief in sight.More than 33% of Puerto Rico is under extreme drought, and another 30% under a severe drought. July was the driest month on record for San Juan in more than 120 years and the second hottest for the island’s capital.
https://www.democracynow.org/2026/9/1/puerto_rico_water_shortage_la_junta
Juan Carlos Dávila reports from Puerto Rico as the island grapples with a severe water crisis. A record-breaking drought has led to severe shortages and a system of water rationing that residents say could have been prevented by better infrastructure maintenance. Climate scientists have warned for years that changing weather conditions in the Caribbean are likely to exacerbate existing infrastructure failings, but rather than address the root cause of the water shortage, explains Dávila, a pattern of government inaction and failed public services is used to justify increasing privatization.
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