U.S. to reopen border to Mexican cattle imports after screwworm ban

The United States announced Friday it will begin reopening the border to Mexican cattle imports on Aug. 24, more than a year after it imposed the measure due to the spread of the New World screwworm in Mexico.

In a statement, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the reopening of cattle imports from Mexico will begin at the Douglas, Arizona border crossing, which borders Agua Prieta in Mexico’s Sonora state.

The statement said the necessary steps will be taken for the subsequent reopening of the Santa Teresa and Columbus border crossings in New Mexico, without specifying dates.

Despite the ban, the screwworm was detected last month in Texas and southeastern New Mexico, where more than 30 cases have been reported to date.

In Mexico, the screwworm outbreak was detected in November 2024 and has spread to 29 of the country’s 32 states. Currently, there are 1,792 active cases, according to official figures.

The parasite, a larva of the Cochliomyia hominivorax fly, attacks warm-blooded animals, including humans.

U.S. authorities said imports of Mexican cattle will be subject to compliance with a joint action plan, and the animals will undergo inspection in the U.S. to prevent the entry of screwworm larvae.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a message on social media that she was notified of the measure in a letter sent by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, adding that Mexico will accelerate its efforts to be ready to resume the movement of cattle through Sonora and subsequently through the border state of Chihuahua, where five cases of screwworm were recently reported.

Sheinbaum said the measure is an example of “dialogue, cooperation, and collaboration with mutual respect between Mexico and the United States.”

Rollins, in the U.S. statement, said it is now safe to reopen the crossing through Arizona.

The Mexican livestock sector estimates that the suspension led to multimillion dollar losses.