Call for contingency plans in face of US govt shutdown

 

-Photo credit Reuters.

PETALING JAYA: Several export-oriented sectors in Malaysia will be impacted if there is a prolonged shutdown of the US government, say industry players.

As one of the country’s largest export markets, contingency plans should be drawn up to assist the affected sectors in weathering the effects of the political impasse in Washington DC.

Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia treasurer-general Datuk Koong Lin Loong said that while the impact of a short-term shutdown would be minimal, an extended one would create a ripple effect on the US economy and Malaysian exporters.

“If US civil servants are not paid their salary, this will decrease their spending power and consumption. This in turn will affect the export of our furniture to the United States.

PETALING JAYA: Several export-oriented sectors in Malaysia will be impacted if there is a prolonged shutdown of the US government, say industry players.

As one of the country’s largest export markets, contingency plans should be drawn up to assist the affected sectors in weathering the effects of the political impasse in Washington DC.

Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia treasurer-general Datuk Koong Lin Loong said that while the impact of a short-term shutdown would be minimal, an extended one would create a ripple effect on the US economy and Malaysian exporters.

“If US civil servants are not paid their salary, this will decrease their spending power and consumption. This in turn will affect the export of our furniture to the United States.

“Also, the shutdown will interrupt services such as customs clearance at the ports and entry points in the United States. This will become an issue for our exporters.

“The disruption to the logistics sector would have an impact on the supply chain.

“This will be especially true for Malaysian companies involved in the export of electrical and electronics (E&E) products to the United States, which is a major importer,” he said when contacted yesterday.

The United States is one of the largest importers of Malaysian E&E, totalling almost RM120bil last year and representing about 20% of the country’s total E&E exports.

Of these figures, some RM60bil were semiconductor products, which account for about 20% of Malaysia’s total semiconductor exports.

Koong suggests that Malaysia leverage its position as Asean Chair to coordinate with other Asean members states and regional countries in facilitating exports.

“We could leverage the strength of Asean as a whole in respect of the individual countries’ niche products and services,” he added.

If there is a prolonged shutdown, he said the government should assist exporters by exploring other potential markets such as the Middle East and Africa.

Koong noted that development grants and soft loans, which were announced in Budget 2026, could help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) weather the effects of a prolonged shutdown.

The US government shutdown, which began on Oct 1, was triggered by the US Congress’ rejection of a Republican funding Bill, resulting in some 750,000 federal government workers being furloughed without pay.

The deadlock is expected to persist for a third week despite pressure from President Donald Trump on the Democrats to support the Republican Bill.

Airfreight Forwarders Association of Malaysia chairman Thomas Mathew said the shutdown, though a US domestic political issue, carries far-reaching implications for the global economy.

“As one of the world’s largest importers and exporters, any disruption in the operations of US federal agencies reverberates through supply chains worldwide,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Among the immediate impacts of the shutdown are delays in customs clearance, port congestion and slower regulatory processing by key US agencies, he added.

“This includes the Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Department of Commerce, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“These delays can significantly disrupt the flow of goods into and out of the United States, prompting re-routing, rescheduling, and increased costs across shipping networks,” he said.

Mathew said a prolonged shutdown would have a multifaceted impact on Malaysia, as the country is a key trading partner of the United States, particularly in the E&E and manufacturing sectors.

“Malaysia may encounter delays in order fulfilment, payment cycles, and reduced demand from US buyers facing their own domestic uncertainties,” he said.

He added that there could also be logistical slowdowns affecting compliance-dependent sectors that require US regulatory approvals, such as semiconductors, medical devices and pharmaceuticals.

“Additionally, any resulting market volatility may impact the ringgit, investor confidence and broader business sentiment in Malaysia,” he said.

While a short-term shutdown can be absorbed with minimal disruption, a prolonged one risks undermining the predictability and efficiency upon which global trade and export-driven economies rely on.

Mathew suggests that contingency plans are drafted for the affected sectors.

“Diversifying trade partnerships will be key for Malaysian businesses navigating such external shocks,” he added.

Malaysian Consortium of Mid-Tier Companies honorary president Callum Chen said a prolonged shutdown would be a double whammy to businesses, not only globally but also Malaysian too.

“The impact will make things worse. Ports in the United States are already jam-packed with stuck containers due to tariff uncertainties.

“Most US SMEs are already facing cash flow problems due to the tariffs,” he said when contacted.

He added that unpaid US federal workers would be forced to prioritise their spending.

“They will have less money to buy things, and their priority will be putting food on the table,” he said.

Chen expects the latest episode to be longer than the previous 35-day shutdown from Dec 22, 2018, to Jan 25, 2019, which is the longest in US history.

“Everyone is in a limbo and this only creates more uncertainty for businesses,” he said.

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  US GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

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Goodbye trade war

US GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

 

https://bbc.com/news/articles/crrj1znp0pyo

Anthony ZurcherNorth America correspondent and

James FitzGerald  

Watch: What could happen during the US government shutdown?

The US federal government has shut down after Republican and Democratic politicians failed to resolve a budget dispute.

It means that some, but not all, US government services are temporarily suspended, and 40% of the federal workforce – about 750,000 people – are expected to be put on unpaid leave.

Although budget confrontations are common in US politics, this spending fight is especially tense because President Donald Trump has drastically reduced the size of the national government since taking office, and has suggested he may use the current impasse to make further cuts.

Why has the US government shut down?

The shutdown happened because Republicans and Democrats could not agree to pass a bill funding government services into October and beyond.

Under the US system, the different branches of government have to reach an agreement on spending plans before they can become law.

The Republicans currently control both chambers of Congress. But in the Senate - or upper chamber - they are short of the 60 votes needed to pass the spending bill, which gives opposition Democrats some negotiating power.

They want to see an extension of expiring tax credits which make health insurance cheaper for millions of Americans, and for a reversal of Trump's cuts to Medicaid, a government healthcare programme used by millions of elderly, disabled and low-income people.

Democrats also oppose spending cuts to government health agencies.

A stopgap bill designed to avoid the shutdown was passed in the House, or lower chamber, but did not clear the Senate.

And so, at 00:01 EDT on Wednesday 1 October (04:01 GMT), it became official: the US had its first shutdown for nearly seven years.

Which government services will stop, and which will carry on?

Not all aspects of government will shut down - services deemed essential will continue as normal, although in many cases staff will not be paid for the duration of the shutdown.

Border protection and law enforcement staff, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, in-hospital medical care and air-traffic control workers are expected to operate as usual.

Social security and Medicare cheques will still be sent out, although benefit verification and card issuance work may stop.

Government employees deemed non-essential will be temporarily put on unpaid leave. Contractors who work for federal agencies but are not directly employed by the government will miss out on work, too.

Services like the food assistance programme and federally-funded pre-school and institutions like the Smithsonian museums will likely be reduced or closed.

Several agencies, like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are also expected to furlough many workers, affecting ongoing research projects.

National parks and forests remained open during the last shutdown in 2018, but with few or no staff, which experts said led to a rise in vandalism, littering and looting of historical sites.

There could also be travel delays. The Airlines for America trade body warned that flight systems might "need to slow down, reducing efficiency". Passport agencies have also warned that it could take longer than usual to process travel documents.

• Jobs, travel, national parks - what impact will the shutdown have?
• 18 ways the 2018 shutdown hurt

Mail will still be delivered and post offices will remain open because the US Postal Service does not depend on Congress for funding.

Most American schools are state-funded, but the federal government is responsible for billions of dollars in grants and student loans, which could effectively come to a halt.

However, because the grants are typically awarded during the summer, they will be largely unaffected during this shutdown, according to the education secretary.

Members of Congress will also still be paid, a convention that has been criticised by some politicians.

How has the White House responded to the shutdown?

In the past, lengthy government shutdowns were usually seen as politically dangerous, hampering voters' everyday lives and the reputation of lawmakers and the president.

After previous shutdowns were resolved, government operations mostly returned to normal, with staff and spending levels largely going back to what they had been before.

However this time, the White House appears more than happy to shutter large parts of the US government for an extended period.

Over the past nine months the Trump administration has slashed government spending and sacked many federal workers, testing the boundaries of presidential power.

Officials have threatened to use the shutdown to identify more "non-essential" workers who could be permanently let go.

"We'll be laying off a lot of people," Trump said on Tuesday 30 September, the day before the shutdown began.

• White House says layoffs 'imminent'

While both Democrats and Republicans are blaming each other for the current standoff, they did make last-ditch efforts to try to avoid it.

On Monday 29 September, Trump met all four congressional leaders - the top Democrats in the House and Senate as well as their Republican counterparts, but little progress was made, and both sides appeared to dig deeper into their positions.

How long will the current shutdown last?

It is difficult to say. In this case, it really depends when - or if - either of the parties will agree to a compromise.

The Republicans could negotiate an extension to the healthcare subsidies demanded by the Democrats.

Alternatively the shutdown could become so disruptive that the Democrats decide to back down and agree to fund the government - at least temporarily - to get things up and running again.

So far, the Trump administration has been been unwilling to offer substantive concessions. It believes the Democrats will bear the brunt of the public's blame because it argues the party's demands caused the shutdown.

Meanwhile the Democrats believe their efforts to secure cheaper healthcare are popular.

The party's congressional leaders provoked the ire of some left-wing activists for backing down during the last budget dispute in March.

Many Democrats seem to be itching for a bigger fight this time around – and funding the government is one of the only places where the party has some leverage.

• Four ways this shutdown could end

How could the shutdown affect the economy?

The scale of the damage will depend in part on how long the shutdown lasts - and how wide ranging it is.

Analysts estimate it could shave roughly 0.1 to 0.2 percentage points off economic growth for each week that it continues - although much of that could be recouped, as has happened after previous shutdowns.

That relatively muted impact may be why the stock market seems to be shrugging off this latest threat.

But if Trump ends up firing workers, rather than temporarily putting them on furlough, the impact could be more substantial.

The US economy has already been hit by the effects of Trump's tariffs, with the likely delay of key data - such as the official US monthly jobs report - expected to add to the uncertainty.

• What tariffs has Trump announced and why?

What happened during the last US government shutdown?

Shutdowns over budgets are a unique aspect of US politics.

They have become quite common over the past 50 years - with three taking place during Trump's first presidential term.

The last shutdown in late 2018 lasted 35 days - the longest in history.

It was brought about by disagreements over funding a wall on the Mexico border. It finally ended in part because air traffic controllers, who had been working for a month without pay, started calling in sick en masse.

Flights were cancelled or delayed because of the lack of staff, and the shutdown came to an end shortly afterwards.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the 2018-2019 shutdown reduced economic output by about $11bn, including $3bn that it never regained.

But shutdowns pre-date Trump.

The second longest to date was 21 days, under Democrat President Bill Clinton in 1995. His fellow Democrat Barack Obama had a 16-day shutdown during his time in the White House, and Republican Ronald Reagan oversaw eight shutdowns during his presidency in the 1980s - though all were relatively brief.

• Why government shutdowns only seem to happen in the US