As a result of the recent government shutdown in the United States, various administrative processes were affected, including the application procedures for the Certificate of Financial Responsibility (COFR). Although the shutdown has officially ended, it will take some time before the backlogs are cleared.
This has direct consequences for our members who transport goods to the US and need to apply for or renew a COFR in order to comply with the requirements of the US Coast Guard (USCG).
The USCG has already been authorised to resume their operations, including updates to the public COFR status spreadsheet on its website. Their main focus is on clearing the backlog, with applications being processed in the order received. At this stage, no timeline has been provided for when normal processing times will resume but at the moment there seems to be delay of a couple of days.
It is worth noting that the USCG likes to have applications submitted 21 days prior to the vessel entering the USA. As mentioned above, the shutdown also impacted the COFR website of active vessels due to delays in updating information. However, if the CG-5585 is approved and the guaranty is filed prior to the vessel’s arrival, the USCG will assist the vessel in entering the port of arrival even if the vessel is not on the website.
NNPC is keeping a close eye on all developments and, as always, will start the process for upcoming renewals well in advance to prevent any potential problems. We advise members who are considering sailing to the US for the first time to start arranging all the necessary documents in good time as well. If you have questions our would like our assistance with the application process please contact our Underwriting department (underwriting@nnpc-marine.com).
