A CBP Form 28 (Request for Information) and a CBP Form 29 (Notice of Action) — usually written CF-28 and CF-29 — are two U.S. Customs and Border Protection notices sent at two different moments in an import entry. A Form 28 means CBP wants documents about a shipment. A Form 29 means CBP is changing or proposing to change something on the entry, such as its classification, value, or duty.
A CBP Form 28 is a Request for Information. CBP describes it as a request for the information it needs to properly classify or appraise merchandise, or to confirm the shipment complies with import rules. In plain terms, CBP has a question about an entry and is asking the importer to supply the backup — a commercial invoice, a packing list, product specifications, a cost breakdown, or a certificate, depending on what it is checking.
A CF-28 is a request, not yet a decision. Nothing has been changed on the entry at this stage; CBP is gathering what it needs before it decides whether any action is warranted. A complete, consistent response is often what keeps a Request for Information from turning into the next form.
A CBP Form 29 is a Notice of Action. CBP issues it to state an action it is taking, or proposing to take, on the entry — commonly a change to the tariff classification or the declared value, which can raise the duty owed (a "rate advance"). The notice carries a written explanation from the Center of Excellence and Expertise saying why the action was taken.
A Notice of Action comes in two forms: proposed and taken. A proposed action tells the importer what CBP intends to do and leaves a window to respond before it is finalized; a taken action records a change CBP has already made. Which one arrived is printed on the notice.
The difference is where each sits in the process. A CF-28 is CBP asking a question — it wants information and has not changed anything. A CF-29 is CBP acting on an answer — it is changing, or proposing to change, the classification, value, or duty on the entry. A CF-28 often comes first; a CF-29 can follow if the information does not resolve CBP's concern, though a CF-29 can also arrive on its own.
That difference sets the stakes. A Request for Information is answered by producing the documents CBP asked for. A Notice of Action already has a consequence attached — usually more duty — so it is the one where a disagreement has to be raised within the stated window, before the change is locked in at liquidation.
The deadline is printed on the notice, and it differs by form. A CF-28 states how long there is to return the requested information. For a CF-29 that raises duties, CBP's regulations set the pressure: under 19 CFR 152.2, once CBP has issued the notice, liquidation is not held for more than 20 days from the date the notice was mailed unless there are compelling reasons — so the window to respond to a proposed action is short, and the notice states it.
Because liquidation is the point at which the change becomes final, letting a Notice of Action's window pass is what forecloses the ordinary chance to contest it. The exact date on the notice governs; the figures here describe the rule behind it, not a substitute for reading the notice.
Both notices are delivered to the importer of record through CBP's ACE Portal, and a customs broker can receive and respond to them electronically on the importer's behalf. Classification, valuation, and the entry itself are customs matters that the importer and their licensed broker or a customs attorney handle — the response is theirs to make, and the reason CBP cites is what decides which documents belong in it.
The free Detention Decoder reads a CBP notice — a CF-28, a CF-29, a UFLPA hold, or another kind — and pulls out which type it is, the deadline it states, and the documents it points to, so the response starts from the right reading of the notice.
Open the free Detention Decoder →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 2026-09-08.
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.