Day Three: Government Shutdown

The TTB remains one of the key agencies affecting the flow of business for wine and spirits importers. While the website may be available to process funds, it is not available to file new COLA applications or retrieve current ones. Our forwarding partner, Albatrans, reports that they are forced to ask customers to supply copies of the label approvals when needed by US Customs. Normally, they can retrieve the copies from the website, so please understand and be patient if your broker is asking you for labels.

We also have reports that local Customs AMS (Automated Manifest System) representatives are furloughed. AMS is an essential part of the overall transaction to get your goods shipped and cleared through Customs. As many of you know, AMS errors can cause headaches and delays and the Customs AMS reps are essential in solving some of the issues that can arise and potentially delay your cargo. You may have heard from your broker about “AMS mismatch” issues that need to be fixed prior to release of cargo. We have not had reports of any problems yet, but we will keep you advised.

Other than these items, Customs and FDA are open for business and we have not seen any delays in clearances from other agencies. The Acting Commissioner of Customs stated that all ports of entry are open and that we “…should not see any type of impact.”

We will continue to keep you advised as to how the shutdown may affect your supply chain and we are here to answer any questions or receive your comments!