Economy of Puerto Rico

The Economy of Puerto Rico is one of the most dynamic in the Caribbean region, also ranking as the second biggest economy in the region, only behind to the Dominican Republic. A diverse industrial sector has surpassed agriculture as the primary focus of economic activity and income. Encouraged by duty-free access to the US and by tax incentives, US firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. US minimum wage laws apply. Sugar production has lost out to dairy production and other livestock products as the main source of income in the agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of income for the island, with estimated arrivals of nearly 5.9 million tourists in 2007.

History

panish Colonialism

In the early sixteenth century, Juan Ponce de León and the Conquistadores were led by the Taínos to areas enriched with gold. This discovery encouraged the Spanish Crown to create a gold mining industry and attracted many settlers to the island who wanted to strike it rich. In 1521, concerned about threats from European enemies, Spain began constructing massive defenses around the city of San Juan. The strengthening of El Morro Castle, San Cristóbal, and San Gerónimo forts as well as the city walls were the stronghold elements of these successful defenses. The Spanish Crown allowed the enslavement of the native Taínos for the construction of these fortifications and for the further development of the gold mining industry. Gold mining became the first modern economy of Puerto Rico. Many Taínos died as a consequence of the harsh treatment that they were subject to. This eventually led to the importation of African slaves as a new source of manpower. The black slaves were forced to work the mines whose gold was sent to Spain.

When the Spaniards found gold in Puerto Rico, they established farms for cattle, grain, fruits, and vegetables to supply mining camps. These farms later grew into plantations for cash crops of ginger, sugarcane, tobacco, and coffee. The settlers who were farmers, began what was to become the agricultural economy of the island. Ginger cultivation was to become the main agricultural product, helping to establish a thriving economy until 1570 when the gold mines were declared depleted and no longer produced the precious metal. After gold mining came to an end in the island, The Spanish Crown basically ignored Puerto Rico by changing the routes of the west to the north. The island became mainly a garrison for the ships that would pass on their way to or from the other and richer colonies. Therefore, the commercial trade between Puerto Rico and Spain was greatly affected and since commercial trade with other countries was prohibited the islands economy became precarious. During this period the merchants in the island resorted to contraband, trading with ships from England, Netherlands or whomever would trade for the main produce of the island, which at that time was ginger. As much as 10 or 11 years would pass before Spain would renew it commercial links with Puerto Rico

In 1493, Christopher Columbus, on his second voyage, introduced the ancestors of the Pure Puerto Rican Paso Finos to the New World. During this and subsequent trips by Columbus and other conquistadors, Andalusians, Barbs and Spanish Jennets were brought into what is now Puerto Rico. Spanish land owners in Puerto Rico used the Paso Fino in the plantations because of their endurance and the comfortable ride they provided. Breeding and exporting of the Paso Fino horses became an important source of income for the struggling economy of Puerto Rico.

From the sixteenth to the nineteenth century Puerto Rico was characterized primarily by underpopulation, poverty and neglect by Spain. Spanish law was changed to allow unrestricted trade with the neighbors and the Spanish Crown approved the Royal Decree of Graces of 1815, which promised free land for the Spanish citizens who were willing to establish themselves in Puerto Rico and develop its lands. Puerto Rico had basically remained economically undeveloped until 1830, when the immigrants from the Spanish provinces of Catalonia, Mallorca and the Canary Islands began to arrive and gradually develop the sugarcane, coffee, and tobacco plantations.

The French who fled St. Dominique (what is now Haiti) from the slave uprisings and settled in the island bought with them the knowledge and expertise to develop the islands sugar industry. This led the way to the development of the Puerto Rican Rum industries which would have a positive impact on the island.Even though sugar became the backbone of Puerto Rico's economy, coffee was close behind. Out of the three main groups which immigrated from Spain, the Mallorcans were the ones who helped develop the islands early coffee industry. Many established coffee plantations in towns such as Lares however, they employed what was to become known as circular migration. For the Mallorcan immigrants the coffee economy of Puerto Rico was a mechanism for capital accumulation and instead of investing their profits in the economy of Puerto Rico, they sent their earnings to their families in Spain.

By 1850, Spain had lost all but two of its colonies in the New World, Puerto Rico and Cuba. The Spanish Crown modified the Decree of 1815 to include those European of non-Spanish origin to settle and develop the lands of both islands. Waves of Corsicans, French, Irish and Germans immigrated to Puerto Rico and contributed to the creation of a thriving agricultural economy. Of this group the Corsicans converted the islands coffee industry into one of the best in the world. Unlike the Mallorcans, the Corsicans settled with their families in the island and invested their profits in Puerto Rico's economy. The German immigrants established many importing and exporting firms in San Juan the islands capital.

Despite the fact that the economy of the island had greatly improved, the vast majority of the islanders lived in poverty. The Spanish Crown needed funds to subsidize its troops in an effort to regain control of the Dominican Republic and therefore, increased the tariffs and taxes on most import and export goods. As a consequence Puerto Rico once more began to suffer a severe economic crisis.

United States control

The economy of the island became dependent on that of the United States after the Spanish-American War of 1898. Companies from the United States took over the operations of the main agricultural entities of the island. An example of this is the American Tobacco Co. which took control of the tobacco industry of the island. On August 8, 1899, Hurricane San Ciriaco, with winds of over 100 miles per hour, struck Puerto Rico and on August 22 another hurricane followed. These events practically destroyed the island's agricultural industry, causing the mass emigration of Puerto Rican laborers to other parts of the world and a sudden economic crisis. Another event which further deteriorated Puerto Rico's economy was the Great Depression of the 1930's.

In 1945, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt launched the Puerto Rican Reconstruction Administration, which provided agricultural development, public works, and electrification of the island.

In the late 1940's a series of projects called Operation Bootstrap encouraged, using tax exemptions, the establishment of factories. Thus manufacturing replaced agriculture as the main industry.

Since the Great Depression there has been external investment in capital-intensive industry such as petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and technology.

Operation Bootstrap was based on an "industrialization-first" campaign and modernization, focusing the Puerto Rican economy on exports, especially to the United States. Though initially there were large gains in employment and per capita income, recessions in the United States were magnified in the country and have repeatedly hampered Puerto Rican development. [F. Rivera-Batiz, Island Paradox: Puerto Rico in the 1990s, chapters 1,2,5 & 8.]

With the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Dominican Republic–Central America Free Trade Agreement, Puerto Rico lost a trade advantage over some Latin American countries as the right to duty-free imports to the U.S. market were expanded. Puerto Rico is also subject to the minimum wage laws of the United States, which gives lower-wage countries such as Mexico and the Dominican Republic an economic advantage in certain industries.

Current economic overview

Puerto Ricans had a per capita GDP estimate of $19,600 for 2007. [ [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rq.html CIA - The World Factbook -- Puerto Rico] .] Federal transfer payments to Puerto Rico make up more than 20% of the island's personal income. "Trouble on Welfare Island", The Economist, May 25, 2006] By comparison, the poorest state, Mississippi, had a median level of $21,587, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey, 2002 to 2004 Annual Social and Economic Supplements. [ [http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/medincsizeandstate.html U.S. Census - Median Family Income] .] Since 1952 the gap between Puerto Rico's per capita income and the national level has essentially remained unchanged — one third the U.S. national average and roughly half that of the poorest state.

As of 2006, the unemployment rate was 11.7%. [GovernmentDevelopment Bank of Puerto Rico [http://www.gdb-pur.com/economy/factsheet/documents/PR.Eco.Fact.Sheet.pdf] ] The U.S. state with the highest unemployment in October 2007 wasMichigan, at7.7%, [ [http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/state_unemployment/ Unemployment rates - Unemployment rates by state from CNNMoney ] ] and the U.S. average was 4.4%. [U.S. Bureau of LaborStatistics. [http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm] ]

On November 15, 2006 the Government of Puerto Rico implemented a 5.5% sales tax. An optional 1-1.5% municipal tax had been in effect since May 2006.

Tourism

Tourism is an important component of the Puerto Rican economy supplying an approximate $1.8 billion. In 1999 an estimated 5 million tourists visited the island, most from the United States. Nearly a third of these are cruise ship passengers. An increase in hotel registrations, which has been observed since 1998, and the construction of new hotels and the Puerto Rico Convention Center are indicators of the current strength of the tourism industry.

The following are significant public and private projects (finished, planned or under construction) which are aimed at increasing the tourism industry in Puerto Rico:
*The Puerto Rico Convention Center (finished)
*The Puerto Rico Convention Center District (under construction)
*The Pan American Port Terminal in Isla Grande for cruise ships and liners (finished)
*The Coliseum of Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot (finished)
*The Condado Trio Renovation Project (Condado Vanderbilt and La Concha hotels) (under construction)
*Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport expansion and renovation project (under construction)
*Fairmont Coco Beach Resort (planned)
*San Miguel Four Seasons Resort (planned)
*JW Marriot Resort (planned)
*Numerous other hotel projects underway (including new hotels and expansions) adding hundreds of rooms to the industry

Trade with the United States

Puerto Rico is within the customs territory of the United States, but travellers from the island to the U.S. mainland are subject to customs and agricultural controls. [ [http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/ready_set_go/air_travel/faq_requirements/whti_faqs.xml FAQs on New Requirements - CBP.gov ] ] [ [http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/carriers/facthead.xml Air/Sea Passenger User Fees Collection Information - CBP.gov ] ] U.S. citizens may travel without restriction between Puerto Rico and other U.S. territory; the proof of citizenship required at border crossings varies depending on the mode of travel. [ [http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/travel/vacation/ready_set_go/air_travel/whti_faqs_tvl_flex.ctt/whti_faqs_tvl_flex.pdf]

Mail bound for the mainland from Puerto Rico and Hawaii is subject to USDA inspection for quarantined plant matter. [USPS Administrative Support Manual 274.922 (ASM 13, July 1999) [http://www.npmhu306.org/php/uploads/asm.zip] ]

Puerto Rico may collect import duties only to the same degree it taxes the same goods produced domestically. [48 USC §741a]

Other statistics

*Industrial production growth rate: NA%

*Household income or consumption by percentage share::*lowest 10%: NA%:*highest 10%: NA%

*Budget::*revenues: $8.1 billion Central Government, $25 Billion with Public Corporations:*expenditures: $9.6 billion Central Government

*"'Electricity:*production"': 17,765 GWh:*consumption: 16,521 GWh:*exports: 0 kWh:*imports: 0 kWh (1998)

*Electricity - production by source::*fossil fuel: 98.06%:*hydro: 1.94%:*nuclear: 0%:*other: 0% (1998)

*Agriculture - products: sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock products, chickens
*Exports - commodities: pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment
*Imports - commodities: chemicals, machinery and equipment, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products

ee also

*Economy of the United States

External links

* [http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/3684/history.html Brief History of Puerto Rico]
* [http://www.elyunque.com/history.html History of Puerto Rico]
* [http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/bras.html Changing of the Guard: Puerto Rico]
* [http://www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress/books/0631.htm UW Press: Sugar and Slavery in Puerto Rico]

Notes