Shipment stuck at customs?
Read your CBP detention or hold notice — free.
Reads the CBP notice for the hold type and the deadline, then shows the general path from there. Background, not legal or customs advice.
A held shipment usually means one of a few things:
- CBP is examining the goods
- a partner agency has flagged them
- a document or a value is in question
- the goods are detained over a specific concern, such as forced labor
Each has a different cause and a different way out. What follows sorts the hold by what the notice says, then explains that path.
Read once, then discarded — the notice is not stored. How data is handled →
This is background about the hold and the general path, not legal or customs advice, and it does not promise a shipment will be released. A licensed customs broker or a customs attorney handles the response.
Reference · What a CBP hold or detention means
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When U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) holds a shipment, the goods are not released until the reason for the hold is resolved. A hold is not a single thing — it comes in several kinds, and each has its own process, evidence, and deadline. Identifying which kind a notice describes is the first step, because the wrong response wastes a short clock.
The common kinds of hold
- Forced labor (UFLPA). CBP is holding the goods as presumptively made with forced labor, because they trace to China’s Xinjiang region or a company on the UFLPA Entity List. The burden is on the importer and the clock is short; a licensed customs attorney leads the response.
- Partner-agency (PGA) hold. Another federal agency riding along with CBP — FDA, CPSC, FCC, USDA, or EPA — wants its compliance documentation before the goods proceed.
- Value or classification. CBP is questioning the declared value or the HTS classification of the entry.
- Documentation request (CF-28 / CF-29). A Request for Information (CF-28) or Notice of Action (CF-29), usually with a response date.
- ISF, intellectual property, or an exam. A late or inaccurate Importer Security Filing, a trademark or counterfeit concern, or a routine examination.
The general path from a notice
Read the notice to identify the hold type and the deadline, gather the records that hold’s process calls for, and bring them to the right professional — a licensed customs attorney for a forced-labor detention, or a licensed customs broker working with the agency named on the notice. The free customs-hold check above does the first step from the notice, and for a UFLPA hold it assembles a cited evidence checklist and a package to bring to a customs attorney.
Customs brokers and customs attorneys use it from the other side of the desk: when a client hands over a notice and a stack of documents, the tool reads the notice and organizes the cited evidence so the response starts from an assembled set rather than a pile. See what goes in a UFLPA detention response package.
Handling one of these for a client? How customs attorneys use this tool.
Common questions
My shipment is held by CBP — what does it mean?
A CBP hold means Customs is not releasing the goods yet. Holds come in several kinds — forced labor (UFLPA), a partner agency such as FDA or CPSC, a value or classification question, a documentation request, and more — and each has its own process and deadline. The free customs-hold check reads the notice, identifies which kind of hold it is and the deadline, and shows the general path from there. It is background, not legal or customs advice.
What is a UFLPA (forced-labor) detention?
A UFLPA detention means CBP is holding a shipment as presumptively made with forced labor, because it traces to China's Xinjiang region or a company on the UFLPA Entity List. The presumption can be answered, but the burden is on the importer and the clock is short. A licensed customs attorney leads the response.
How long do I have to respond to a UFLPA detention?
CBP typically allows about 30 days from the notice date to respond, export, or request an extension. Extensions are discretionary — at most two, not exceeding 90 calendar days total from the detention notice, and requested before the current window expires. Confirm the exact date against the notice, as it may already have passed; the customs-hold check computes the window from the notice date.
What is a CBP Withhold Release Order (WRO)?
A Withhold Release Order is a CBP order to detain a class of goods when information reasonably indicates they are made with forced labor. It is a separate mechanism from the UFLPA Entity List: a WRO targets a class of merchandise, while the Entity List names specific companies. Goods detained under a WRO can be exported or destroyed, or shown to be admissible — evidence-heavy work a licensed customs attorney leads.
What is a CF-28 or CF-29 from CBP?
A CF-28 (Request for Information) and a CF-29 (Notice of Action) are CBP forms about an entry's value, classification, or documentation, often with a response date. The customs-hold check recognizes them and shows the response path and the deadline. It is background, not legal or customs advice.
Is the customs-hold check free?
Yes — it is a free tool and needs no signup. It reads a CBP hold notice, pins the hold type and the deadline, and shows the general path. It is background, not legal or customs advice, and does not promise a shipment will be released.