In Puerto Rico, the Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC) says Canadian tariffs will not affect the upcoming trade mission to Toronto, scheduled for October 19-23. Soraya Morón Vélez, Assistant Secretary of Entrepreneurship and Business Development at the DDEC, explained that products made in Puerto Rico are exempt from these measures, which affect sectors such as food, construction materials, and electronics.
According to Morón Vélez, this opens up business opportunities for both Canadian companies to establish themselves in Puerto Rico and access U.S. markets, and for Puerto Rican companies to offer more competitive pricing. Puerto Rico exported nearly $98 million to Canada in 2025, while importing $783 million, with petroleum and coal products accounting for 49.38% of exports.
The trade mission aims to generate sales for participating companies, with a focus on services and individualized guidance for each company. Leonyl Ortiz González, Director of PromoExport, noted that the 2019 trade mission generated over $1 million in sales for 10 participating companies in the food and beverage sectors.