With the government shutdown starting today and the uncertainty of how long the shutdown will continue, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has advised that the shutdown may impact the processing of bonds and riders. Yesterday, CBP issued the following statement.
“FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
Due to the Federal Government shutdown, the Revenue Division Bond Team is operating with a limited staff. As a result, we will not be able to maintain our standards of processing submissions within five (5) full business days. The Bond Team will focus on processing, as a result, we will not be able to return phone calls and/or answer status questions in a timely manner. We suggest that you consult ABI and/or ACE for additional information regarding your submission.
We apologize for the inconvenience.”
Fortunately, due to our electronic link with Customs database, and access to the various Customs systems noted above, we do not expect any delay in notifying your office when a bond has been processed, though we cannot predict how this situation may affect how quickly Customs processes bonds and riders.
We will continue to monitor the situation and keep you apprised.