No impact from U.S. government shutdown, says STEP president
By CJME NewsJan 15, 2019 | 12:33 PM
It doesn’t seem like the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history has hit home just yet.
Chris Dekker from the Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership said they’re monitoring the situation closely but have not noticed any issues affecting domestic industry.
However, “there’s a cumulative effect of all these delays and issues that are happening domestically in the United States that causes uncertainty. And in exports and in any business, it’s not a welcomed characteristic,” Dekker said.
Border protection and customs are essential services so Dekker is expecting goods to keep flowing across the border.
“That’s not to say they wouldn’t have work stoppages or issues with respect to employees phoning in or not coming in. That will cause delays,” he said.
As for safety inspections of imported fruits, vegetables and meats, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency conducts them at the source, in transit or upon arrival, Dekker said.
Over at the Regina Airport, CEO James Bogusz said there could possibly be delays to and from U.S. destinations but they haven’t seen any yet.
The government shutdown has been the result of a stalemate between Congress and the White House over billions of dollars for President Donald Trump’s Mexican border wall.