cargo vs merchandise

cargo and merchandise both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
cargo	Yes	No	No	No
merchandise	Yes	No	Yes	No

As nouns, merchandise is a hypernym of cargo; that is, merchandise is a word with a broader meaning than cargo:

Other hypernyms of cargo include product, ware.

cargo (noun)	merchandise (noun)
goods carried by a large vehicle	items for sale to the individual consumer
	branded products meant to promote another product, especially films and pop groups

cargo (verb)	merchandise (verb)
	engage in the trade of