US to Reopen Border to Mexican Cattle Imports Beginning in August

MEXICO CITY — The United States will begin allowing Mexican cattle imports to resume next month, marking the first reopening of the border since shipments were halted more than a year ago because of the spread of New World screwworm.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the phased reopening will begin Aug. 24 at the Douglas, Arizona, port of entry, which serves cattle moving from Agua Prieta in the Mexican state of Sonora.

USDA officials said additional border crossings at Santa Teresa and Columbus, New Mexico, are expected to reopen later, although no timetable has been released.

The move comes as both countries continue efforts to contain New World screwworm. While cattle imports have been suspended for more than a year, the parasite was confirmed last month in Texas and southeastern New Mexico. More than 30 cases have since been reported in those areas.

Mexico first detected the pest in November 2024. Since then, the outbreak has spread across 29 of the country’s 32 states. Mexican officials report nearly 1,800 active cases.

New World screwworm is the larval stage of the Cochliomyia hominivorax fly. The larvae feed on the living tissue of warm blooded animals, including cattle, horses, wildlife, pets and, in rare cases, people.

USDA said cattle entering the United States will be required to meet conditions outlined in a joint action plan between the two countries. Imported animals will also undergo inspections to help ensure screwworm larvae do not enter the U.S. livestock herd.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she was notified of the reopening in a letter from U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. She said Mexico will continue expanding its eradication efforts to restore cattle movement through Sonora and eventually Chihuahua, where several recent screwworm cases have been identified.

Rollins said conditions now allow cattle movements to safely resume through the Arizona crossing while surveillance and control measures remain in place.

Mexico’s livestock industry has estimated the year long suspension has cost producers millions of dollars in lost export sales as both governments worked to contain the parasite.