diff --git a/DECISIONS.md b/DECISIONS.md
index 311eb74..427a9d4 100644
--- a/DECISIONS.md
+++ b/DECISIONS.md
@@ -57,3 +57,9 @@ Implementation decisions not spelled out in `memory-bank/implementation-plan.md`
 - **Ranges** (million km): Courier 5 (Moon only; Mars is ~55 at its closest), Freighter 650 (covers Ceres at its farthest, ~600, and Jupiter near its closest, ~590, per decision 0.5.25), Bulk Hauler 1,000 (Jupiter at its farthest, ~970). Step 3.7 checks these against real positions.
 - **Speeds and overheads** aim at GDD §6 durations at compression 60: Courier 3M km/h with 2 h overhead (Earth→Moon ≈ 2 real minutes, mostly overhead), Freighter 2M km/h with 4 h (Earth→Mars ≈ 1–2 real hours), Bulk Hauler 1.2M km/h with 8 h.
 - **Prices** (30,000 / 150,000 / 600,000), **capacities** (20 / 100 / 400 t), **fuel costs** (20 / 40 / 80 per million km) and **hull ratings** (1 / 2 / 3) are first guesses; Step 2.5 tunes the Courier price.
+
+## Step 2.4
+
+- **Ids:** cargo `standard`, `heavy`, `high-value`, `dangerous`; skills `long-haul`, `heavy-cargo`, `expensive-cargo`, `dangerous-cargo`.
+- **Base pay** (credits per tonne per million km): Standard 10, Heavy 14, High-Value 18, Dangerous 20. **Tier multipliers:** 1, 1.2, 1.25, 1.3. First guesses, to be tuned in Phase 12.
+- **Cargo and skills share one data file** (`src/data/cargo.ts`), since every cargo skill exists to gate a cargo type.
diff --git a/memory-bank/progress.md b/memory-bank/progress.md
index 921407d..a9df07a 100644
--- a/memory-bank/progress.md
+++ b/memory-bank/progress.md
@@ -13,6 +13,6 @@
 - [x] **Step 2.1 — Content schemas.** Zod 4 schemas in `packages/content/src/schemas.ts` for Location, ShipModel, CargoType, Skill and GameConfig, with inferred types. Tests check that each schema accepts a valid example and rejects it with any one field missing.
 - [x] **Step 2.2 — The five locations.** `src/data/locations.ts`: Earth, Moon, Mars, Ceres Station, Jupiter Cloud Platform. Earth and Moon start discovered; Earth has the highest launch multiplier.
 - [x] **Step 2.3 — The three ship models.** `src/data/ships.ts`: Courier, Freighter, Bulk Hauler, all atmospheric. Speed, capacity and price orderings tested; range rules are checked in Step 3.7.
-- [ ] Step 2.4 — Cargo types and skills
+- [x] **Step 2.4 — Cargo types and skills.** `src/data/cargo.ts`: Standard, Heavy, High-Value, Dangerous; skills Long Haul, Heavy Cargo, Expensive Cargo, Dangerous Cargo (max level 5). The location test now checks cargo ids against the real data.
 - [ ] Step 2.5 — Default game config
 - [ ] Step 2.6 — Single content bundle
diff --git a/packages/content/src/data/cargo.ts b/packages/content/src/data/cargo.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7142a77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/content/src/data/cargo.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+import type { CargoType, Skill } from "../schemas";
+
+/** Standard is always tier 0; other types carry a tier from 1 to 5 (decision 0.5.6). */
+export const cargoTypes: CargoType[] = [
+  {
+    id: "standard",
+    name: "Standard",
+    basePayPerTonnePerMillionKm: 10,
+    tierPayMultiplier: 1,
+    requiredSkillId: null,
+  },
+  {
+    id: "heavy",
+    name: "Heavy",
+    basePayPerTonnePerMillionKm: 14,
+    tierPayMultiplier: 1.2,
+    requiredSkillId: "heavy-cargo",
+  },
+  {
+    id: "high-value",
+    name: "High-Value",
+    basePayPerTonnePerMillionKm: 18,
+    tierPayMultiplier: 1.25,
+    requiredSkillId: "expensive-cargo",
+  },
+  {
+    id: "dangerous",
+    name: "Dangerous",
+    basePayPerTonnePerMillionKm: 20,
+    tierPayMultiplier: 1.3,
+    requiredSkillId: "dangerous-cargo",
+  },
+];
+
+export const skills: Skill[] = [
+  {
+    id: "long-haul",
+    name: "Long Haul",
+    maxLevel: 5,
+    description: "Access to longer routes.",
+  },
+  {
+    id: "heavy-cargo",
+    name: "Heavy Cargo",
+    maxLevel: 5,
+    description: "Access to heavier loads, one tier per level.",
+  },
+  {
+    id: "expensive-cargo",
+    name: "Expensive Cargo",
+    maxLevel: 5,
+    description: "Access to high-value cargo, one tier per level.",
+  },
+  {
+    id: "dangerous-cargo",
+    name: "Dangerous Cargo",
+    maxLevel: 5,
+    description: "Access to hazardous cargo, one hazard class per level.",
+  },
+];
diff --git a/packages/content/src/index.ts b/packages/content/src/index.ts
index c817643..3d0b1c1 100644
--- a/packages/content/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/content/src/index.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 export * from "./schemas";
 export * from "./data/locations";
 export * from "./data/ships";
+export * from "./data/cargo";
diff --git a/packages/content/test/cargo.test.ts b/packages/content/test/cargo.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aed668b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/content/test/cargo.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { cargoTypeSchema, cargoTypes, skillSchema, skills } from "../src/index";
+
+describe("cargo types", () => {
+  it("all pass the schema", () => {
+    for (const cargo of cargoTypes) {
+      expect(() => cargoTypeSchema.parse(cargo)).not.toThrow();
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("has Standard plus three skill-gated types", () => {
+    expect(cargoTypes.map((c) => c.id)).toEqual(["standard", "heavy", "high-value", "dangerous"]);
+    expect(cargoTypes.find((c) => c.id === "standard")!.requiredSkillId).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("requires only skills that exist", () => {
+    const skillIds = skills.map((s) => s.id);
+    for (const cargo of cargoTypes) {
+      if (cargo.requiredSkillId !== null) {
+        expect(skillIds).toContain(cargo.requiredSkillId);
+      }
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("pays more than Standard for every non-standard type", () => {
+    const standard = cargoTypes.find((c) => c.id === "standard")!;
+    for (const cargo of cargoTypes) {
+      if (cargo !== standard) {
+        expect(cargo.basePayPerTonnePerMillionKm).toBeGreaterThan(
+          standard.basePayPerTonnePerMillionKm,
+        );
+      }
+    }
+  });
+});
+
+describe("skills", () => {
+  it("all pass the schema", () => {
+    for (const skill of skills) {
+      expect(() => skillSchema.parse(skill)).not.toThrow();
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("has the four base skills, each max level 5", () => {
+    expect(skills.map((s) => s.id)).toEqual([
+      "long-haul",
+      "heavy-cargo",
+      "expensive-cargo",
+      "dangerous-cargo",
+    ]);
+    for (const skill of skills) {
+      expect(skill.maxLevel).toBe(5);
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/content/test/locations.test.ts b/packages/content/test/locations.test.ts
index 6d1e50d..075700d 100644
--- a/packages/content/test/locations.test.ts
+++ b/packages/content/test/locations.test.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
-import { locationSchema, locations } from "../src/index";
+import { cargoTypes, locationSchema, locations } from "../src/index";
 
-// The cargo types planned for Step 2.4; replaced by the real data once it exists.
-const cargoTypeIds = ["standard", "heavy", "high-value", "dangerous"];
+const cargoTypeIds = cargoTypes.map((c) => c.id);
 
 describe("locations", () => {
   it("all pass the schema", () => {