A federal government shutdown, which was expected to start at 12 a.m., Oct. 1., was averted late Saturday when Congress passed a stopgap bill. President Biden signed the legislation within hours before the midnight deadline.

The stopgap measure will keep the federal government funded and operating through Nov. 15.

In the weeks leading up to the potential government shutdown, NCBFAA took no chances and immediately took action to engage Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Partner Government Agencies (PGAs) on what we needed to do to keep legitimate trade moving through our nation’s ports of entry in the event of a government shutdown.

On Sept. 22, NCBFAA took the lead with 40 other trade associations to develop a comprehensive strategy with CBP and PGAs to ensure that legitimate trade is permitted to efficiently enter and exit our nation’s ports during a shutdown.

NCBFAA created a dedicated NCBFAA webpage that contains timely information on what our members need to know during a shutdown, including contacts at CBP and the PGAs that have trade hold authority.

On Friday, Sept. 29, NCBFAA held a sold-out, hour-long webinar to offer additional insights on what to expect from CBP and key PGAs during a potential government shutdown. The discussion was led by NCBFAA President Jose D. (JD) Gonzalez and included NCBFAA Legislative Advisor Nicole Bivens Collinson, Customs Committee Vice Chair Ralph De La Rosa, Richard DiNucci representing NCBFAA Transportation Counsel, Air Freight Subcommittee Chair Donna Mullins, Regulatory Agencies Committee (RAC) Chair Mike Lahar, RAC Vice Chair Karen Damon, and RAC Counsel Cindy Thomas.

In case you missed it, we strongly encourage you to listening to the recording of the webinar, “Everything You Need to Know to Prepare for a Lapse in Government Funding,” here .

There is still a risk of a government shutdown once the stopgap measure expires in mid-November, and rest assured that NCBFAA will continue to monitor government funding activities on Capitol Hill in the weeks ahead.