House commission opens probe into San Juan port tariffs; Crowley, IPT testify

The Puerto Rico House Commission on Federal Affairs and Veterans opened a public hearing Dec. 9 to investigate operations and tariffs at the San Juan Bay port complex under resolución de la Cámara 195. Chair José F. Aponte read the commission’s charge and required written ponencias covering specific tariff categories, then heard testimony from International Public Terminal (IPT) and Crowley Puerto Rico Services.

IPT President and CEO María I. Caraballo told the committee IPT was formed to provide competition to long‑standing terminal operators and described barriers small terminal operators face when port areas effectively become exclusive. “Somos una alternativa en el frente portuario ante el oligopolio creado,” Caraballo said, urging the commission to examine access and emergency routes that she said impede the port authority’s ability to monitor tariffs and respond to incidents.

José Francisco Nazario, general manager of Crowley Puerto Rico Services, outlined Crowley’s long presence on the island and documented investments he said the company has made at Isla Grande: a 30‑year lease that extends to 2046, more than $500,000,000 in recent investments, construction of a new 900‑foot pier and dredging (described in the record as “approximately $100,000,000”), installation of three modern cranes (stated at about $30,000,000) and two new vessels (reported cost more than $300,000,000). Nazario said those capital outlays strengthen resilience and service reliability for Puerto Rico.

On tariffs, Nazario told the panel that Crowley maintains public, “open” tariffs and that domestic carrier rates are subject to federal oversight; he referred to the body recorded in the hearing as STV/Service Transportation Board and said Crowley posts its open tariffs on a public portal. He explained the company’s published scanning fee as $69 plus a $5 administrative fee (a $74 total charge billed to the customer) and described standard free‑time rules: 7 calendar days for domestic cargo and 20 calendar days for transshipment under the tariff labeled M18 in the record.

Members pressed witnesses on whether recent mergers and contracting practices had created an oligopolistic market that could increase costs for consumers. Caraballo and Nazario acknowledged competition challenges and said they had cooperated with prior investigations; both agreed to provide subpoenas, ‘supina’ requests and other correspondence related to a previously reported Department of Justice inquiry that witnesses said had been paused.

Chair Aponte directed Crowley to submit a clarified set of the open tariffs that apply strictly to Puerto Rico (domestic U.S. mainland ↔ Puerto Rico service, excluding international/transshipment entries) within 10 calendar days so the commission could verify which fees were applicable to the island. The commission also granted a separate 10‑day calendar filing extension to a different invited party (lic. Omar Marrero) to provide written materials and said staff would notify a new in‑person date for appearances.

The hearing also covered infrastructure and access issues — witnesses described restricted access in Puerto Nuevo, maintenance shortfalls, and the inability in some cases for the port authority to exercise traffic control over areas that users characterize as preferential but have become effectively exclusive. Members requested additional documentation and follow‑up visits.

The commission recessed after the session and recorded the filings and deadlines for the record. Next steps: companies must submit clarified Puerto Rico‑specific tariff information and any documents concerning prior antitrust follow‑ups within the 10‑day deadline; the commission staff will prepare communications to clarify parcel ownership and other outstanding records before returning to the matter.