US to Resume Livestock Imports Through Mexico After Year-Long Ban

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin reopening livestock ports along the U.S.-Mexico border next month, ending a suspension that has lasted for more than a year after concerns over the spread of the destructive New World screwworm parasite halted imports of live cattle and horses.

The phased reopening marks a significant step toward restoring cross-border livestock trade while maintaining strict biosecurity measures designed to protect the U.S. cattle industry.

According to the USDA, the Douglas, Arizona, port of entry will reopen to livestock imports on August 24, with additional ports at Santa Teresa and Columbus, New Mexico, expected to resume operations at a later stage.

The department said every animal entering the United States through the reopened ports will undergo comprehensive veterinary inspections to ensure it shows no signs of infestation by the New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite whose larvae can cause severe and often fatal infections in livestock.

The United States suspended imports of live cattle and horses through its southern border in May 2025 after the parasite spread in Mexico, prompting the administration of President Donald Trump to impose emergency restrictions aimed at protecting the country's livestock industry.

Although the parasite has been present in parts of Mexico for years, U.S. officials said new cases were detected in the United States in early June 2026. Since then, authorities have confirmed 42 cases of New World screwworm infestation.

The USDA said the nearest active case to the Arizona border is currently located about 325 miles away and was identified earlier this week.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins described the closure of the southern livestock ports as a difficult but necessary decision to safeguard America's livestock sector from a pest capable of inflicting significant economic damage.

The United States successfully eradicated the New World screwworm in 1966 and later contained a localized re-emergence in South Florida in 2017, making disease prevention a longstanding priority for federal animal health authorities.

Separately, the USDA continues to face scrutiny over the reliability of its agricultural reporting.

On July 10, the department sharply revised its late-June U.S. beef export sales data after discovering a reporting error. Net export sales were reduced to 12,064 metric tons, approximately 90% lower than the figure released one week earlier.

The revision has renewed concerns among traders, analysts, and producers about the accuracy of USDA data following significant workforce reductions and previous forecasting errors, including substantial revisions to U.S. corn acreage estimates last year.