A CBP Form 28 (CF-28, Request for Information) means U.S. Customs has a question about your import entry and wants documents. A CBP Form 29 (CF-29, Notice of Action) means Customs is changing, or plans to change, something on the entry, such as its classification, value or duty. The first one asks. The second one acts.
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| CF-28 | CF-29 | |
|---|---|---|
| Its name | Request for Information | Notice of Action |
| What it means | CBP has a question and wants documents | CBP is changing, or plans to change, the entry |
| Has the entry changed yet? | No | Proposed: not yet. Taken: yes |
| What's usually at stake | Sending the right papers | More duty, after a change to classification or value |
| How long there is | The date on the notice | The date on the notice. After a duty increase is mailed, liquidation isn't held more than 20 days |
| Who gets it | The importer of record | The importer of record |
A CF-28 often comes first, but a CF-29 can also arrive on its own.
Source: CBP Form 28 page; CBP ruling HQ 228840; 19 CFR 152.2; CBP's ACE Portal forms guide
It's CBP asking for the backup. CBP uses it when it needs more to classify or value the goods, or to confirm they meet import rules. What it asks for depends on what it's checking: a commercial invoice, a packing list, product specs, a cost breakdown, or a certificate.
Nothing on the entry has changed yet. It's a request, not a decision. A complete answer that matches the rest of the paperwork is often what keeps a CF-28 from turning into a CF-29.
It's CBP telling you what it's doing to the entry. Most often it changes the tariff classification or the declared value, which can raise the duty owed. That's called a rate advance. CBP's rules make the notice spell out what's changing.
There are two kinds, and a box on the form shows which. A proposed action asks the importer for its reasons in writing within a set time, before the change is final. A taken action means CBP has already made the change.
A CF-28 is a question. A CF-29 is an action, usually with more duty attached. A CF-28 often comes first, and a CF-29 can follow if the answer doesn't settle CBP's concern. But a CF-29 can also arrive on its own.
Say a CF-28 asks for a product's specs. If the specs don't settle CBP's question about the classification, a CF-29 can follow that changes it, and the new classification can carry more duty. So it's the CF-29 that has to be disputed in time.
The date on the notice is the one that counts. A CF-28 says how long there is to send the information. A CF-29 that raises duty moves fast: once CBP mails it, liquidation isn't held more than 20 days unless there are compelling reasons. So the window to answer a proposed action is short.
Liquidation is when the change becomes final. Once a Notice of Action's window has passed, so has the usual chance to dispute it.
Both go to the importer of record: in the ACE Portal if the importer's account is set to get CBP forms there, and by U.S. mail if no setting is chosen. A customs broker can get an emailed courtesy copy.
Classification, value and the entry itself are customs matters, so the importer and their licensed customs broker or a customs attorney handle the answer. The reason CBP gives on the notice decides which documents belong in it.
Got one of these? Three questions, no upload: see what CBP usually asks for next — free.
Answer three questions — free →The rules on this page do change — an eFiling date, a list, a threshold. Leave an email and a short note goes out if one does: a few a year at most, one click to stop, and the address is used for nothing else. A summary of the guide and a link arrive now, as confirmation.
Information current as of 2026-10-12.
This report is an automated, informational screening tool only. Tiana & Co. is not a licensed customs broker and does not conduct customs business. This report does not constitute legal advice, a compliance determination, or a certification of admissibility for any supplier, product, or shipment.
Verdicts in this report are produced by deterministic code, not by a language model. The explanatory paragraph accompanying each check is model-generated and checked against the cited sources before delivery. No part of this report is reviewed by a person before it is issued, so every material finding and citation should be confirmed against the underlying government source before it is relied on.
This report reflects data available as of the report date. The OFAC SDN and Consolidated lists, the other U.S. Consolidated Screening List constituents, the UFLPA Entity List, CBP withhold release orders, CPSC's eFiling list, and regulatory guidance are updated frequently and without prior notice. Users should re-screen periodically and consult qualified counsel for compliance decisions.
Name-similarity results do not establish or rule out the identity of any company. Where multiple similarly named records exist, none should be treated as confirmed without independent verification against the primary government source.
This tool is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a substitute for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, or any other government agency. No warranty is made as to the accuracy, completeness, or currency of any finding.
Use of this report for import, procurement, sanctions-compliance, or investment decisions is at the user's own risk. Anyone with compliance obligations under UFLPA, OFAC, or CPSC regulations should consult qualified legal counsel before making a transactional decision.
This report is an automated, informational screening tool only. Tiana & Co. is not a licensed customs broker and does not conduct customs business. This report does not constitute legal advice, a compliance determination, or a certification of admissibility for any supplier, product, or shipment.
Verdicts in this report are produced by deterministic code, not by a language model. The explanatory paragraph accompanying each check is model-generated and checked against the cited sources before delivery. No part of this report is reviewed by a person before it is issued, so every material finding and citation should be confirmed against the underlying government source before it is relied on.
This report reflects data available as of the report date. The OFAC SDN and Consolidated lists, the other U.S. Consolidated Screening List constituents, the UFLPA Entity List, CBP withhold release orders, CPSC's eFiling list, and regulatory guidance are updated frequently and without prior notice. Users should re-screen periodically and consult qualified counsel for compliance decisions.
Name-similarity results do not establish or rule out the identity of any company. Where multiple similarly named records exist, none should be treated as confirmed without independent verification against the primary government source.
This tool is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a substitute for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, or any other government agency. No warranty is made as to the accuracy, completeness, or currency of any finding.
Use of this report for import, procurement, sanctions-compliance, or investment decisions is at the user's own risk. Anyone with compliance obligations under UFLPA, OFAC, or CPSC regulations should consult qualified legal counsel before making a transactional decision.