As the US shutdown drags on, the threat to supply chains grows

Initial repercussions for logistics from the US government shutdown have been slight so far, but the prospect of lingering paralysis is raising fears of severe supply chain disruption that may take a long time to mend. Canine screening of air cargo got under way at US airports on January 1 as scheduled, but the programme has had a bumpy start. Certified screeners are ready to go, but airlines are not accepting cargo screened by dog teams without an official go-ahead from the Transportation Security Agency (TSA), reported Brandon Fried, executive director of the US Airforwarders Association, who had been one of the driving forces for the establishment of a canine cargo-screening scheme. As long as the TSA is not accessible, carriers seeking clarification of details of the canine programme are in limbo.