What are CBP Form 28 and Form 29?

Form 28 and Form 29 are CBP's two primary communication mechanisms for entry-level issues. Understanding them helps you know what to expect during the CAPE process.

Form 28 — Request for Information:

• What it is: CBP requests additional documentation or clarification about specific entries. This is informational, not adversarial — CBP needs more data to make a decision.
• Common triggers: Missing supporting documents, unclear classification, valuation questions, country-of-origin verification.
• Response deadline: Typically 30 days from the date of the Form 28.
• Who responds: Your broker partner (Filer of Record under the LPOA) reviews the request, gathers the needed information, and responds to CBP. Tariffi assists with data preparation.

Form 29 — Notice of Action:

• What it is: CBP notifies you that they intend to take a specific action on your entry — often a rate advance (increasing the duty owed), reclassification, or denial of a protest/CAPE declaration.
• Common triggers: Classification disagreement, valuation adjustment, denial of CAPE declaration for specific entries.
• Response deadline: Typically 20 days from the date of the Form 29 to respond or protest.
• Who responds: Your broker partner reviews the proposed action, evaluates whether to accept or challenge it, and files the appropriate response or further protest.

What this costs you:

Responses to Form 28 and Form 29 within the scope of the LPOA are included in Tariffi's contingency fee. There is no additional charge for routine CBP correspondence. If a response requires information that only you can provide (e.g., business records not in the ES-003), the broker or Tariffi will reach out to you.

The CAPE context: In CAPE Phase 1, most Form 28/29 interactions relate to data formatting issues or entries that need correction — not substantive disputes about whether you are owed a refund. The ~97.8% Phase 1 pass rate means most declarations process without additional CBP correspondence.