The Essential Guide to Efficient Freight Shipping Between Jacksonville, FL and Puerto Rico

More than 85% percent of the goods shipped between Puerto Rico and the mainland U.S. move through Jacksonville, Florida. The Port of Jacksonville (also known as JAXPORT) is a major ocean freight gateway, linking the mainland U.S. with the Port of San Juan and Puerto Rico’s other seaports.

In this article, we’ll show you what you need to know about moving freight along this route, either northbound to the mainland U.S. or southbound to Puerto Rico. Shipping to a U.S. territory like Puerto Rico can be a little different than shipping freight to other U.S. destinations. We’ll walk you through all the angles to make your next Puerto Rico freight shipment simple and stress-free.

Choosing the Right Freight Service Between Jacksonville, FL and Puerto Rico

When you’re moving ocean freight between the continental U.S. and Puerto Rico, your shipment will most likely pass through Jacksonville/JAXPORT. As with all your freight shipments, it’s important to choose the service that matches up with your timeline and your budget.

Let’s take a look at the freight and logistics services available for freight moving through Jacksonville and the Port of San Juan:

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As you can see, you’ll find a full roster of freight services between JAXPORT and the Port of San Juan. Full container load (FCL) shipments as well as consolidations (less-than-container load shipments/LCL) move between the two ports. You’ll also see options for moving specialized freight, including oversized loads, heavy loads, hazardous materials, and construction equipment and materials. Refrigerated container service (reefers) are also common within this shipping lane.

Additionally, logistics services are readily available at both JAXPORT and the Port of San Juan. If you need warehousing and storage solutions, you’ll find options in both Florida and Puerto Rico. In general, storage near Jacksonville can be more cost-effective. Given the short ocean freight transit time between Jacksonville and Puerto Rico, quick restocks from the mainland U.S. are a real possibility. (Read more about transit times below!) Additionally, many providers offer door-to-door service for freight pickup and delivery on both ends.

What about air freight? For time-sensitive shipments that need to move quickly, air freight is also available to and from Puerto Rico.

Next, let’s take a closer look at the way that freight moves between JAXPORT and the Port of San Juan.

The Logistics of Shipping Freight Between Jacksonville, FL and Puerto Rico

Exactly how does freight move between Jacksonville, Florida and the Port of San Juan in Puerto Rico? Let’s take a closer look at the process.

Pickup & Drayage

To start its journey, freight will need to move either to JAXPORT or the Port of San Juan by truck:

• For full-container loads booked directly with a steamship line, this would mean hiring a driver for the drayage to the port.
• If you’re working with a freight forwarder for either an FCL or LCL shipment, you could either move your freight to their terminal or arrange for a pickup from your location. Once your freight arrives at their terminal, your forwarder will coordinate drayage to transfer the freight to the steamship line at the port.

Ocean Freight

Once your freight is at the port, the steamship line will load it onto a ship headed northbound to JAXPORT or southbound to the Port of San Juan.

There are two types of vessels that move ocean freight along this route: barges and container ships. Freight that moves via container ship can make the journey between JAXPORT and the Port of San Juan in as little as 2-3 days.

Container Ship Transit Times

Between Jacksonville & Puerto Rico

Jacksonville, FL to San Juan, PR

3 Days

San Juan, PR to Jacksonville, FL

2-3 Days

Cargo that goes by barge takes a little longer—about six days between San Juan and Jacksonville.

What kind of freight moves between Jacksonville and Puerto Rico over the ocean? Just about everything you can imagine: consumer goods, vehicles, oversized equipment, construction materials, refrigerated goods, hazardous materials, and more.

Drayage & Delivery

Once the ship arrives in the port, it will be unloaded.

Once unloaded (and cleared by Hacienda in the case of Puerto Rico freight), containers will be held at the port for pickup. If you’re working with a freight forwarder, they’ll arrange to move your freight to their warehouse. From there, they’ll either make your freight available for pickup, or contact you to arrange final delivery.

Navigating Customs & Hacienda Regulations

Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, so shipments that move between Puerto Rico and other U.S. destinations are not subject to customs inspections, duties, or fees. That includes shipments between Jacksonville and Puerto Rico.

• However, shipments arriving to Puerto Rico are subject to an excise tax. For many goods, the tax is 11.5%. (For more on figuring out the excise tax for your specific shipment, reach out to us.)
• This tax is directly paid to the Puerto Rico Department of Treasury or el Departamento de Hacienda de Puerto Rico. Shipments must be paid for and cleared by Hacienda before they can be released and delivered.

To help you clear Hacienda with ease, we’ve got three tips:

Tip #1: Set up an Account Within SURI

If you don’t have one yet, set up your account within SURI (Sistema Unificado de Rentas Internas). Through this online portal, you can pay all of your excise tax invoices quickly and easily. (If you don’t speak Spanish, there’s an option in the upper-right corner to set the website’s language to English.)

Once you establish your account, pay for your freight shipment as soon as you can. Fast, timely payments mean faster Hacienda clearance.

Tip #2: Get Your Documentation in Order

For your shipments to Puerto Rico, you’ll need:

1. A bill of lading, which your forwarder can create for you.

1. A commercial invoice with the valuation of your cargo, including the prices you paid on a line-item basis.

1. And, for certain shipments, an EEI (Electronic Export Information) filing that goes into the Automated Export System (AES Direct). Your forwarder can help you determine if you meet the threshold for filing. You’ll find the filing requirements on trade.gov.

Tip #3: Double-Check Everything

Before submitting, take a final look at your paperwork to ensure:

• The commodities and valuations match on all documents. For example, if the value of an item is listed as $100 on one form and $150 on another, the mismatch can cause problems.
• The valuations are accurate. If the price on your commercial invoice seems surprisingly low, that can raise a red flag for your shipment.

Generally, most shipments clear Hacienda quickly and painlessly. However, mistakes in your paperwork might result in Hacienda holding your shipment. It’s worth double-checking everything before sending it through.

FAQs About Shipping Freight Between Jacksonville and Puerto Rico

Finally, we’ll answer a few frequently asked questions we hear about moving freight between Jacksonville and Puerto Rico.

Ready to Ship Freight to Puerto Rico?

We’ve been helping companies make Jones Act freight lanes work for their businesses since 1991, and we’d love to help you with a cost-effective Puerto Rico freight plan. Just reach out to schedule a complimentary consultation to get started.

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