Arizona Border Reopens to Mexican Cattle, New Mexico Reopening Soon

The Associated Press’ Abraham Tellez reported that “Mexico resumed live cattle exports to the United States on Monday after they were halted for nearly two years by restrictions imposed by the Trump administration following a screwworm outbreak.”

“Even under strict limitations, the reopening of the trade channel brought relief to Mexico’s ranching industry, which was dealt an economic blow by the controls. The flesh-eating worm is now present on both sides of the border,” Tellez reported. “In the sprawling desert mountains along the U.S.-Mexico border, hundreds of cattle began to cross from the Mexican town of Agua Prieta in the state of Sonora to the Arizona town of Douglas at around 3 p.m.”

“The process began after several hours of inspections by Mexican and U.S. authorities, who used dogs to inspect each animal and determine that they were not infected with screwworm,” Tellez reported. “…To resume exports from Mexico on Monday, the U.S. approved a new protocol that included placing radio-frequency identification tags in the cows’ ears and installing scanners to detect the tags.”

“Cattle crossings into Arizona were also limited to 700 head per day, increasing to 900 per day next week and 1,300 per day the following week,” Tellez reported. “While Mexico has hundreds of cattle ready for export, the Trump administration controls will slow recovery of the industry, leaving herds in the U.S. with the lowest cattle counts in 75 years, and a shortfall of about 1.2 million cows, which has led to a surge in beef prices.”

Two New Mexico Ports of Entry Poised to Reopen

Bloomberg’s Ilena Peng and Elizabeth Elkin reported that “Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the US will allow Mexican cattle shipments into two additional US ports over the next two months, in a move poised to boost beef supplies. … Rollins said in a press conference that a second port in New Mexico will reopen in 30 days, followed by a third port in the state 30 days after that.”

“The USDA had previously said it would consider reopening the Santa Teresa and Columbus ports in New Mexico, but didn’t give a timeline,” Peng and Elkin reported. “The Santa Teresa port is the most significant of the three, accounting for 40% of Mexico cattle imports in 2024. Rollins didn’t specify which of the two ports would reopen first.”

Texas Cattle Feeders Associations’s Statement on Today’s Resumption of Feeder Cattle Trade with Mexico:

“The resumption of Mexican feeder cattle imports with today’s reopening of the port at Douglas, Arizona, signifies an important first step in getting back to business as…

— Texas Cattle Feeders Association (@txcattlefeeders) August 24, 2026

“‘We feel and believe, based on science and data, that we have taken every step to protect the American herd and the American consumer,’ Rollins said,” according to Peng and Elkin’s reporting.

Meatingplace’s Frank Fuhrig reported that “initial import numbers are likely to be modest, though the Santa Teresa port is by far the largest, handling nearly 43% of cattle before the screwworm closure. Due to their proximity to Mexican cow-calf production in Sonora and Chihuahua states, reopening the New Mexico ports could restore more significant import volume by mid-autumn.”

Texas Ports of Entry Won’t Reopen Anytime Soon

Meatingplace’s Fuhrig also reported that “while two additional New Mexico crossings are slated to be opened in the next two months — barring rapid spread of New World screwworm infestation — reopening of imports into Texas is not on the horizon.”

“‘Today will be Douglas, Ariz. We have our team there,’ Rollins said,” according to Fuhrig’s reporting. “‘In 30 days we’ll open up one of the New Mexico ports and in 30 days after that the third, New Mexico port. We don’t plan to open any Texas ports any time soon, just because that is where the real activity is.’”

“(Rollins) noted that only two active cases remain in Texas, as of Monday,’ Fuhrig reported.

Mexico Stepping up Screwworm Containment Efforts in Border States

Reuters’ Cassandra Garrison and Leah Douglas reported that “Mexico is bolstering its screwworm containment campaign in northern border states where recent ‌cases have been detected, heightening scrutiny of livestock exports as cross-border trade resumed on Monday under a phased U.S. reopening.”

“Mexican Agriculture Minister Columba Lopez said authorities would reinforce the dispersal of sterile flies in Sonora and Chihuahua, a ⁠key eradication strategy aimed at preventing the parasite from reproducing,” Garrison and Douglas reported.

“Chihuahua, one of Mexico’s most important cattle-exporting states, has reported 183 confirmed screwworm cases since detecting ​its first case in July, while neighboring Sonora state has reported two confirmed cases after announcing its first ​detection last week,” Garrison and Douglas reported. “Sonora ⁠has activated emergency surveillance and containment protocols, while Chihuahua has intensified inspections, livestock movement controls and treatment campaigns to prevent further spread.”