On October 16, 2013, Congress reached an agreement on the Continuing Resolution funding the federal government, and the President signed the bill to end the 16-day government shutdown.

According to a news release by the New York Times, "Just hours after Mr. Obama signed the temporary spending measure into law around 12:30 a.m., Agencies in Washington and across the country prepared to reopen offices, public parks, research projects and community programs".

It is still unclear when normal operations will resume. Even though all furloughed employees have returned to work, certain websites still remain dysfunctional and delays are likely due to backlog.

As of this morning, the following seem to be operational:

Import:

• USDA's website is operational
• APHIS' management, administrative and oversight employees are back at work
• Fish and Wildlife Services' (FWS) website is operational
• HTSUS website is operational
• EPA is fully operational
• Centers of Excellence and Expertise are open, and National Account Managers are working
• Client representative offices are open
• Steel License Office is open

Export:

• Census website is operational
• Websites for the Departments of State (DOS), Treasury and, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) are operational
• BIS is accepting and processing license applications

Expeditors will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they occur. Please contact your local branch for any further assistance.

The press release by the New York Times can be accessed here