Business & Finance
US resumes Mexican cattle imports under tight screwworm controls
A yearlong ban lifts with strict phased quotas, RFID tagging, and canine inspections at an Arizona crossing as parasite containment continues.
The short version
- The United States is resuming live cattle imports from Mexico through the Douglas, Arizona, port of entry, ending a ban instituted in May 2025.
- Shipments face tight initial volume caps starting at 700 head per day, along with mandatory RFID ear tags, USDA inspections, and trained dog screenings.
- The restrictions aim to stop the spread of the New World screwworm fly, which has infected livestock across 30 Mexican states and entered Texas and New Mexico.
- Officials may open additional border crossings if the phased initial rollout at Douglas proceeds without disruption.
Key facts
- Live cattle imports from Mexico to the United States resume August 24 at the Douglas, Arizona, border crossing bordering Agua Prieta, Sonora.[ABC News · Associated Press]
- Under U.S. protocols, daily crossings are capped at 700 head of cattle in the first week, rising to 900 in the second week, before gradually scaling up to 1,300 per day.[ABC News · Associated Press]
- The protocol requires electronic RFID ear tags, screening by trained dogs and electronic readers, and inspections by USDA officials prior to entry.[ABC News · Associated Press]
- The import ban was instituted in May 2025 due to an outbreak of the New World screwworm fly that began in Mexico in November 2024 and spread across 30 of 32 states.[ABC News · Associated Press]
- Mexican authorities report 1,969 active screwworm cases, down by more than half compared to a year earlier, while U.S. authorities are managing cases in Texas and New Mexico.[ABC News · Associated Press]
- Prior to the ban, Mexico exported roughly 1.2 million cattle annually to the U.S., generating $1.2 billion for Mexico's economy in the previous year.[ABC News · Associated Press]
- During the suspension, Mexican ranchers sold cattle domestically at discounts of nearly 40%, while the U.S. beef industry experienced supply shortages and elevated consumer prices.[ABC News · Associated Press]
What remains uncertain
- It remains uncertain when or whether the USDA will approve cattle shipments through additional border ports of entry beyond Douglas, Arizona.[ABC News · Associated Press]
- Industry representatives and officials acknowledge that the timeline required to achieve complete eradication of the screwworm remains unknown.[ABC News · Associated Press]