CBP Form 29: Notice of Action

CBP Form 29 is a Notice of Action. It is CBP’s way of telling the importer that Customs is proposing an action or has already taken an action on an entry. If Form 28 is CBP asking questions, Form 29 is CBP saying what it intends to do with the answers — or what it has decided to do because the record is incomplete or wrong.

Importers most often see Form 29 after a CBP Form 28 Request for Information, but CBP can issue a Form 29 whenever it decides an entry needs action. The notice may propose or take a rate advance, change HTS classification, deny a USMCA claim, reject origin support, increase entered value, demand redelivery, or adjust duties before liquidation.

A Form 29 is not something to hand to accounting and forget. It is a legal signal that CBP’s view of the entry differs from yours. The response strategy depends on whether the action is proposed or already taken, whether the entry has liquidated, and whether you have enough documentation to defend the original filing.

Proposed Action vs. Action Taken

The distinction matters. A proposed action is your chance to prevent the change from becoming final. An action taken may require a post-entry remedy such as a Post Summary Correction before liquidation or a protest after liquidation. Your broker should immediately identify liquidation status and deadlines.

Why CBP Issues Form 29

CBP issues Form 29 when it believes an entry requires adjustment or when the importer has not proven the claim made at entry. Common reasons include:

• Classification change. CBP believes a different HTS code applies, often increasing duty or triggering special tariffs.
• Country-of-origin change. CBP rejects the declared origin or asks to apply China Section 301, IEEPA, AD/CVD, or marking consequences.
• Denied USMCA or FTA preference. The importer did not support origin criterion, tariff shift, regional value content, or certification requirements.
• Value increase. CBP adds assists, royalties, proceeds, commissions, transfer-pricing adjustments, or other statutory additions to declared value.
• PGA or admissibility issue. CBP acts because FDA, USDA, EPA, FCC, CPSC, or another agency issue affects entry status.
• Missing or weak Form 28 response. The importer did not answer the request for information sufficiently.

What to Do When You Receive Form 29

1. Read the notice type first. Determine whether the action is proposed or taken. Do not assume you still have time to persuade CBP.
2. Pull the complete entry file. Include 3461, 7501, invoice, packing list, bill of lading, bond, origin documents, classification analysis, and any prior Form 28 response.
3. Identify the legal issue. Classification, valuation, origin, preference claim, PGA admissibility, or bond condition each require a different response.
4. Check liquidation status. Liquidation changes your remedy path. Before liquidation, a PSC or supplemental filing may be available. After liquidation, protest deadlines matter.
5. Respond with evidence, not argument alone. CBP needs documents tied to the entry. A bare disagreement rarely changes the outcome.
6. Escalate if duty exposure is material. Involve trade counsel if the issue affects multiple entries, AD/CVD scope, origin fraud, prior disclosure, or large duty underpayment.

Form 29 and Rate Advances

A “rate advance” means CBP is increasing the duty rate applied to the entry, usually because it changed classification, denied a preference claim, or adjusted origin or value. Rate advances are financially dangerous because they often reveal a recurring issue. If the same product was imported on 20 prior entries, the Form 29 may be only the first visible entry in a larger exposure.

When a Form 29 rate advance arrives, do not review only that shipment. Pull a historical entry report for the same SKU, HTS code, supplier, manufacturer, and origin. Estimate duty exposure across open entries and liquidated entries. Decide whether the company needs a correction strategy or prior disclosure before CBP expands the inquiry.

How Form 29 Relates to Protests

If CBP takes action and liquidates the entry in a way the importer believes is wrong, the importer may have protest rights under 19 USC 1514. The protest deadline is generally 180 days from liquidation for protestable decisions. Before liquidation, other tools may be better: Post Summary Correction, supplemental information, or direct engagement with the import specialist.

The key is timing. A Form 29 does not automatically preserve protest rights or extend deadlines. Build a deadline chart immediately: notice date, response date, liquidation date, PSC window, protest deadline, and any internal supplier-document deadlines.

How to Prevent Form 29s

Most Form 29s are preventable. The pattern is predictable: weak classification rationale, unsupported origin claims, incomplete USMCA certificates, missing royalty/assist analysis, vague product descriptions, or poor Form 28 responses. A clean entry file should contain the documents needed to defend the filing before CBP asks.

Importers with repeat products should maintain a trade-compliance memo for each high-volume SKU: HTS rationale, origin rationale, valuation treatment, PGA data, supplier documents, and prior rulings if any. That file turns a future Form 28 or Form 29 from a scramble into a controlled response.

This guide reflects CBP form procedures and public CBP guidance available as of May 2026. Requirements, ACE workflows, and agency practices can change. Importers should verify current instructions with CBP and coordinate filing strategy through their broker or trade counsel.