Free US Law Dictionary

Cargo

Cargo (or freight) is a term used to denote goods or produce being transported generally for commercial gain, usually on a ship, plane, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.

Cargo represents a concern to U.S. national security. It was reported out of Washington, DC that in 2003 over 6 million cargo containers are entering the United States each year.[1] After the terrorist attacks of September 11th, the security of this magnitude of cargo has become highlighted. The latest US Government response to this threat is the CSI: Container Security Initiative. CSI is a program intended to help increase security for containerized cargo shipped to the United States from around the world.[2]