The island is transitioning to a new port security model.
Puerto Rico has begun the formal process of repealing regulations that governed the island’s now-defunct container cargo scanning system, a move that officials say will eliminate obsolete rules and fully implement a new port security framework approved earlier this year.
Puerto Rico Ports Authority Executive Director Norberto Negrón Díaz said the agency has initiated the repeal of Regulation No. 8837, which established the operational rules and fees for the cargo scanning system at the Port of San Juan. The system was discontinued after Gov. Jenniffer González canceled the contract in August 2025, calling it inefficient and an unnecessary cost for consumers.
“The governor announced the cancellation of the cargo scanning system because it was inefficient and unnecessary,” Negrón said in a written statement. He added that the recent enactment of Act 126-2026, known as the Puerto Rico Port Facilities Security Act, makes the repeal of the regulation the next logical step.
The regulation, originally adopted in 2016, governed a scanning program that imposed fees on shipping containers entering Puerto Rico’s ports. According to the statement of legislative intent accompanying Act 126-2026, those costs were ultimately passed on to importers, retailers and consumers through higher prices.
The repeal process officially began this week with the publication of a public notice. Individuals and organizations will have 30 days to submit written comments before the regulation is formally rescinded.
The original cargo scanning program was created under Act 12 of 2008, legislation that has since been repealed. Under the new legal framework, responsibility for port security has shifted to the Puerto Rico Ports Authority Police Department, which officials say is evaluating new security technologies and implementing updated inspection and prevention programs throughout the island’s port facilities.
The administration has argued that replacing the scanning system with a modern security model will strengthen port operations while eliminating costs that no longer provide measurable benefits to commerce or consumers.
Short deck:
the island transitions to a new port security model.
