Learn the most common reasons U.S. Customs and Border Protection holds shipments — and how to prevent every one of them before your goods ever leave the factory.
Prevent Customs Issues Before They Happen →When CBP flags a shipment for review, the type of examination determines how long your goods will be delayed and what costs you'll incur. Understanding these hold types helps importers appreciate what's at stake.
These are the issues CBP most frequently cites when holding or delaying commercial shipments. Every one of them is preventable with proper pre-shipment preparation.
The financial impact of a customs hold extends far beyond the obvious costs. Here's what importers actually pay when a shipment is detained:
| Cost Component | Typical Amount |
|---|---|
| Port demurrage (container storage at port) | $75-150/day per container |
| Detention charges (carrier's container hold) | $50-200/day per container |
| Examination fees (intensive exam) | $500-2,000+ per exam |
| Devanning and re-stuffing labor | $1,000-4,000 per container |
| Customs broker additional service fees | $200-500 per incident |
| Lost sales / stockout costs | Highly variable — often the largest cost |
| Expedited freight if re-ordering needed | 3-5× normal freight cost |
| Penalty assessment (if violation found) | 2-4× unpaid duties or higher |
A single intensive examination on a 40-foot container can easily cost $5,000-10,000 in direct costs — before accounting for lost sales or business disruption.
Your licensed customs broker is your first point of contact. They can communicate with CBP on your behalf, determine the reason for the hold, and advise on next steps. If you don't have a broker, find one immediately — time is money when a shipment is held.
CBP issues a CF-28 (Request for Information) or CF-29 (Notice of Action) when placing a hold. Understanding the specific reason — documentation issue, examination, agency hold — determines the fastest path to resolution.
For document holds, provide CBP with the requested information as quickly as possible. This may include supplemental invoices, laboratory test results, certificates of origin, or product specifications. Delays in responding extend your hold.
If CBP assesses additional duties or makes a classification decision you disagree with, you have 180 days from liquidation to file a protest. A customs attorney or broker can advise on whether a protest is worth pursuing.
Document what caused the hold and implement preventive measures before your next shipment. Consider using pre-clearance validation tools to catch issues before your goods ship — it's far cheaper than resolving holds after the fact.
Upload your commercial invoice and get an instant compliance report — catch the issues CBP will flag before your shipment ever leaves the factory.
Check My Shipment Free →More Free Import Compliance Tools: Prevent customs holds with our customs clearance document checker, supplier HTS code validation tool, and import compliance checker — all part of our customs brokerage automation toolkit.