Usually one of three things: CBP is examining the goods, another agency like CPSC has flagged them, or the goods are detained over a specific concern like forced labor. Each one has a different cause and a different way out, and the notice tells you which one you have.
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| Who holds it | What it means | How long | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A CBP exam | CBP | CBP is examining the goods | 5 business days to release or detain; then 30 days from the exam to decide |
| A partner-agency hold | Another agency, like CPSC | "Hold Intact": keep the goods whole until the agency decides | The agency's own process |
| A forced-labor detention | CBP | The goods are held over how they were made | Its own process and timeline |
Source: 19 CFR 151.16; CBP, ACE Cargo Release with PGA Data Glossary; CBP, How does CBP enforce 19 U.S.C. 1307?
A CBP exam. After the goods are presented for exam, CBP has 5 business days to release them or detain them.
A partner-agency hold. Agencies like CPSC review imports alongside CBP, through their own electronic messages. A CPSC "Hold Intact" means the agency wants the goods kept whole and unchanged until it decides.
A detention over a specific concern. Some holds are about where the goods came from or how they were made. Forced-labor detentions are the best known, and they follow their own process.
Goods not released within 5 business days of the exam count as detained. CBP then has 30 days from the exam date to decide whether they can enter. If it doesn't decide, the goods are treated as excluded, and that can be protested.
Say your goods are presented for exam on a Monday, with no holiday that week. If CBP hasn't released them by the next Monday, they count as detained. Forced-labor holds run on their own timeline.
CBP notifies the importer of record. The response usually goes through the importer's customs broker, or a customs attorney when the hold turns on a legal question like forced labor. The reason on the notice tells you which path you're on: a certificate problem, a marking problem and an origin concern are three different things.
Shipment held at the port? Three questions, no upload: see what kind of hold it is — 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 2026-10-20.
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.