New rules for ground cargo

Security officials want to know what's being shipped on the ground before it gets here.

The Homeland Security Department proposed new rules Tuesday that would require all truck and rail cargo to provide advance electronic information on their shipments. Security officials had required only air and sea shipments to provide advance information before arriving in the United States.

Deadlines for providing the information would depend on the cargo's transportation method, and if it's imported or exported. Railroads, for example, would have to submit manifests two hours before arriving at a U.S. port, and truckers would have to submit content lists two hours before arriving at a border to leave the United States.

The land cargo manifests would be part of an electronic repository already in development for air and sea shipments. The database is expected to be operational later this year.

There is a 30-day waiting period for public comment on the new rules before the agency can formally adopt them.