by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor

Some of the United States' governmental agencies shut down after Republicans and Democrats failed to agree on a bill funding their services. The shutdown started on Wednesday, 1 October, and became the first in nearly seven years.

Currently, the duration of the shutdown cannot be determined. According to the BBC, the last shutdown occurred in 2018 and lasted for 35 days.

A report by FreightWaves highlighted that the impact on port operations will be limited, as several port authorities have assured the public that business will continue as usual. US Coast Guard services will also continue normally.

However, the report mentioned concerns about a change in Customs and Border Protection's operations, which governs import shipments at maritime centres, airports, and land border crossings with Mexico and Canada.

Nevertheless, concerns over short-term disruption are low, but the situation may change if the shutdown persists for extended periods.

Kuehne+Nagel closely monitors the situation and will provide updates as they become available.