Customs Audit Preparation and Response
CBP audits can span 5 years of entries — how to prepare and what to expect during a focused assessment
- Customs Audit Preparation and Response
- Internal Compliance Reviews
- Responding to a CBP Request for Information
Customs Audit Preparation and Response#
CBP conducts focused assessments targeting specific compliance areas: classification, valuation, marking, FTA claims, or AD/CVD. They typically review 3-5 years of entries and can impose penalties of 20-40% of lost revenue. Companies with prior disclosure programs fare much better — voluntary disclosure before an audit reduces penalties by 50-75%.
Internal Compliance Reviews#
Run your own audit annually. Pull 50-100 random entries and verify: correct HTS classification, proper valuation, accurate country of origin, valid FTA certificates, and proper marking. If you find errors, file prior disclosures immediately. Finding your own mistakes before CBP does is always cheaper.
When CBP sends a CF-28 (Request for Information) or CF-29 (Notice of Action), respond within 30 days.
Responding to a CBP Request for Information#
When CBP sends a CF-28 (Request for Information) or CF-29 (Notice of Action), respond within 30 days. Late responses escalate to formal investigations. Engage a customs attorney if the inquiry involves significant duty exposure. Never ignore CBP correspondence — it never gets better with time.
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- CBP audits can span 5 years of entries — how to prepare and what to expect during a focused assessment
People also ask
What is the business impact of customs audit preparation and response?
CBP audits can span 5 years of entries — how to prepare and what to expect during a focused assessment
How can I prepare my business?
Start with visibility into your current exposure, benchmark against industry peers, and build a 90-day action plan targeting the highest-impact improvements first.
What tools help manage this?
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