Effective October 1, 2025, Congress did not reach a funding agreement, resulting in furloughs across many government agencies and anticipated delays.
However, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported during a call with trade this morning that it remains “open for business” with all CBP employees designated as “excepted” status. All ports of entry, Centers of Excellence, Revenue division, Fines Penalties and Forfeitures division, are fully staffed and operational. Additionally, activities related to CTPAT, Foreign Trade zones and bonded facility activities are expected to continue as scheduled. While CBP’s website will not be updated during this funding lapse, CBP stated Cargo Systems Messaging Service (CSMS) notices will continue to be issued. You can register for CSMS messages here.
CBP directed the trade community to coordinate directly with the local port of entry and relevant Partner Government Agencies (PGAs) for questions regarding local operations. Many government agency websites will also provide contingency plans. Depending on the agency, PGAs may be operating with partial or full furloughs.
Regarding U.S. Food and Drug (FDA) entries, trade should refer to the FDA National Entry Review (NER) Trade Communications Guide for entry-specific status inquiries. Special handling instructions are available for “hot shipments” of nuclear medicaments/medical devices, emergency personal medicaments/medical devices and perishable products.
You can review their guidance here.