Rules Announced for Border Crossings

Beginning in November, drivers of trucks carrying freight over the border must describe their cargo in advance in electronic messages to customs officials, the Homeland Security Department announced recently. The electronic manifest must be received at least 30 minutes before the driver attempts to enter the United States. The information will be compared with law enforcement and commercial databases to target potentially dangerous shipments that need to be inspected. The new security rules were supposed to take effect in March, but they were delayed because the government's computer software had to be adapted.