Toxic emissions to the environment are the new data added to the interactive map on school and community profiles

These data could support studies on possible associations between the chemicals emitted and health aspects in populations.

March 20, 2023: A new layer on toxic emissions to the environment was added to the “School Community Profile: The Interactive Map” of the Puerto Rico Statistics Institute (Institute). This was reported by the executive director of the Institute, Dr. Orville M. Disdier, who explained that the new layer includes data from the Toxic Emissions Inventory (TRI) of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the year 2020. The TRI provides information on the emissions of chemical substances emitted to the environment by facilities dedicated to manufacturing, metal mining, electric power generation, chemical manufacturing and hazardous waste management.

In this case, the emission of chemical substances means that they are emitted into the air, discharged into the water or placed in some type of disposal unit. Chemical substances are those that are associated with the possible development of cancer or other chronic and acute effects on human health, as well as possible significant adverse effects on the environment. This layer makes it possible to identify the facilities that could be generating toxic emissions, what industrial sector they belong to, how many pounds of toxic emissions they generate, what type of chemical is used or processed, and if the emission is carcinogenic or not. “This information is of enormous value for communities, especially for school communities, since it allows, in collaboration with government agencies and private institutions, to generate prevention and health promotion projects, considering environmental and geographical factors. It also provides data that can help support studies on possible associations between chemical substances emitted and health aspects in populations.”, explained Dr. Disdier.

The “School Community Profile: The Interactive Map”, with this other additional layer and all the others, resides on the Puerto Rico Statistics Institute page and can be accessed at any time by interested parties at the following e-mail address: School community profile.

For technical questions about this tool, you can send an email to: preguntas@estadisticas.pr.

About the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics

To learn more about the Institute of Statistics, you can access the website: www.estadisticas.pr.gov. On social media through Facebook accounts (@statistics.pr), Twitter (@EstadisticasPR), Instagram (@institutodeestadisticas) and LinkedIn (Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics).

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Puerto Rico paid $919,734,046 in tariffs during 2025

The current situation presents an opportunity to strengthen production in Puerto Rico and increase its presence in the U.S. market through reshoring strategies.

The Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics presented estimates related to the scope of the tariff burden in Puerto Rico.  The data shows that the amount of tariffs on imports increased by 288.66% between 2024 and 2025.  In 2024, the total amount of tariffs was $236,641,688, while in 2025 it increased to $919,734,046.

Annual Tariffs 2010-2025

Between 2010 and 2025, the year 2025 showed the highest amount in tariffs.  These amounted to $919,734,046, representing an increase of $683,092,358 compared to 2024, equivalent to a year-over-year increase of 288.66%.  

On the other hand, an analysis of the effective tariff rate provided a clearer view of the impact of tariffs by directly relating the amount of tariffs in U.S. dollars (USD) to the total value of imports in USD.  In 2025, the effective tariff rate was 4.81%, representing an increase of 3.64 percentage points compared to 2024.

The impact of tariff regulations in 2025 can be observed in the monthly behavior of tariffs collected that year. These show a marked increase starting in April, reaching levels above $100 million in several months, while imports remained relatively stable. This imbalance between both variables directly translates into the observed increase in the effective tariff rate throughout 2025.  

Effective from April 2025, increases in tariff rates were observed, which aligns with the tariff policies applied in the same month.  During the second half of the year, significant increases were recorded, with November being the month with the highest effective tariff rate (7.61%) during 2025.

The full study can be accessed at: Tariffs in Puerto Rico 2025.

Scotiabank, the Industrialists Association and the Statistics Institute begin publication of the Purchasing Managers Index