CBP Form 28 · Request for Information
CBP sent a CF-28 for your entry
A CBP Form 28 asks you for documents, answers or samples about one entry. Answer it completely and on time. Allied CHB prepares the reply with you and files it with CBP.
The basics
What is a CF-28?
A CF-28 is CBP Form 28, Request for Information. An import specialist sends it when the invoice and the entry summary do not give enough information. CBP needs the information to classify or value the goods, or to check compliance.
The form names one entry. It asks specific questions and lists the documents or samples that CBP wants. Typical requests are the purchase order or contract and product literature that explains what the item is and how it works. CBP can also ask for a breakdown of materials by weight and cost, and for samples.
The form can also ask if you are related to the seller, and about costs that are not on the invoice. Examples are packing, selling commissions, assists, royalties and license fees. These questions check the transaction value.
CBP sends the form through the CBP Forms application in the ACE Portal, or on paper. A courtesy copy usually goes to the customs broker who filed the entry. You answer in the ACE Portal or through CBP's Document Imaging System (DIS).
A CF-28 alone is not a penalty case.
CBP's prior disclosure guide says that a request for samples or product literature alone does not start a formal investigation. But your reply is evidence. If you find an error while you prepare it, talk to us about a correction or a prior disclosure before you answer.
Deadline
How long do I have to answer a CF-28?
| Event | Time limit | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| CBP issues the CF-28 | 30 days from the date of the request | CBP Form 28 instructions; ACE Entry Summary Business Rules, section 1.11 |
| You need more time | Contact the CBP officer on the form before the 30 days end | CBP can allow an extension at its discretion |
| CBP asks for samples of goods that it already released | Send them promptly | 19 CFR 151.11: if you do not, CBP can demand the goods back under the bond |
Risk
What happens if I do not answer?
CBP decides the entry with the information that it has. Often the next step is a CBP Form 29, Notice of Action, that changes the classification or the value and raises the duty.
CBP can also ask for samples of goods that it already released. If you do not send them, CBP can demand the goods back under your bond (19 CFR 151.11). If you cannot return them, CBP can assess liquidated damages against the bond.
Checklist
What do we need from you?
The CF-28
A PDF from the ACE Portal, or a scan of the paper form. We need every page.
The entry number
It is on the form. The entry summary (CBP Form 7501) helps if you have it.
Commercial invoice and packing list
For the shipment that the form names.
Purchase order, contract and proof of payment
When the form asks about value or costs.
Product literature
Catalog pages, specification sheets, photos, and a plain description of what the product is and how it is used.
Materials and cost breakdown
From the manufacturer, when the form asks for components by weight or cost.
Samples, if requested
Mark them with the entry number. CBP does not normally return samples that it consumes in analysis.
A power of attorney for Allied CHB
If we did not file the entry. You can sign it online at alliedchb.com/poa.
Process
How do we handle it?
- YouDay 1
Send us the form and the entry number
Upload or email the CF-28. We read each question and check the due date in the ACE Portal.
- Allied
We list what CBP wants
We send you a checklist in plain English: each question on the form and the document that answers it.
- You
You collect the documents
You get the documents from your records or from the supplier. We tell you if a document does not answer the question.
- Allied
We check the entry against the documents
We compare the answers with the classification and value on the entry. If they do not agree, we tell you before the reply goes to CBP.
- Allied
We write the reply and you approve it
We draft a short cover letter that answers each question in order. An officer of your company signs the certification.
- Allied
We file it and watch for the result
We file the reply in the ACE Portal or through DIS before the due date. We tell you when CBP closes the form or sends a CF-29.
Price
What does it cost?
$200 flat fee per filing. The $200 flat fee covers the reply to one CF-28 for one entry. It includes the checklist, the review of your documents, the cover letter and the filing.
For many entries or a large penalty, we quote the fee before we start. Duty, interest, fees and penalties owed to CBP are separate and are not part of our fee.
We confirm the fee and the scope in writing before we start.
Questions
What else should I know?
Who receives the CF-28, me or my broker?
CBP addresses the form to the importer of record. It sends it through the ACE Portal or on paper, and a courtesy copy usually goes to the broker who filed the entry. If you have an ACE Portal account, check the CBP Forms application for forms pending a response.
Can I get more time to answer a CF-28?
Yes, in many cases. Contact the CBP officer named on the form before the 30 days end and explain why you need more time. CBP decides at its discretion. Keep the officer's written answer.
Can Allied answer a CF-28 for an entry that another broker filed?
Yes. You sign a power of attorney for Allied CHB, and you send us the form and the entry documents. We do not need the other broker to take part.
Does a CF-28 mean that CBP will charge more duty?
No. A CF-28 only asks for information, and it can close with no change. If CBP decides to change the classification or the value after it reads your reply, it sends a CF-29, Notice of Action.
What if the reply shows that our entry was wrong?
Tell us before you answer. If the entry has not liquidated, a post-summary correction can fix it. If the same error is on other entries, a prior disclosure can reduce the penalty risk. Do not send CBP an answer that you know is not correct.
Is the information I send kept confidential?
The CBP Form 28 instructions say that CBP treats all information submitted in reply as confidential. Mark business-confidential pages as such in the reply.
Who must sign the reply?
The form asks an appropriate official of your company to sign the certification that the information is true and correct. The form says that this is not required when a foreign firm completes the form.
Request: CF-28 response
$200 flat fee
Another CBP notice or problem? See all post-entry problems and their deadlines.
Send us the notice. We check the deadline first.
Call (908) 291-8001 or email info@alliedchb.com
Last reviewed September 26, 2026. This page explains customs rules in general terms. It is not legal advice. Duty rates and CBP procedures change often, and we confirm the figures for your shipment in writing before you commit.