Sign up for TPR Today, Texas Public Radio's newsletter that brings our top stories to your inbox each morning.
The U.S. will resume limited imports of Mexican cattle beginning Aug. 24, reopening a trade route shut down for more than a year as New World screwworm spread north and U.S. cattle supplies tightened and beef prices rose to record levels.
The first shipments will enter through Douglas, Arizona, across from Agua Prieta, Sonora, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Friday. The Santa Teresa and Columbus crossings in New Mexico are expected to reopen later, restoring access for cattle from Chihuahua. No dates were given for those ports.
The phased plan is contingent on Mexico complying with joint pest-control measures. Each animal will be inspected by U.S. officials before entering the country. The USDA may pause trade again if surveillance indicates that the parasite is spreading or safeguards are not being followed.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the decision after receiving a letter from U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. She described the reopening as “great news for Mexican ranchers” and said officials had been instructed to accelerate preparations. Sheinbaum added that dialogue and cooperation between the countries had produced results.
The decision offers relief to ranchers in northern Mexico and to U.S. feedlots and meatpackers facing tight cattle supplies. Mexico supplied more than 1 million cattle annually before the suspension, with many calves destined for feeding operations in the U.S.
The halt came as drought, elevated feed costs and years of herd liquidation reduced U.S. supplies and helped drive beef prices to record levels. The national cattle inventory stood at 86.2 million head on Jan. 1, the lowest level in decades, according to USDA data. The number of cattle on feed was down 3% from a year earlier.
Texas, the largest U.S. cattle-producing state, had 12.1 million cattle and calves at the beginning of 2026, about 14% of the national herd. Feedlots in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico have argued that imports can restart safely with strict inspection protocols and would help packers meet demand.
The reopening comes after the pest crossed into the U.S. despite the border restrictions. Screwworm was confirmed in Texas and southeastern New Mexico in June. The fly lays eggs in wounds or body openings, and its larvae feed on living tissue, potentially killing untreated animals.
State officials estimate that a major outbreak could cost Texas cattle producers $732 million annually and reduce statewide economic activity by $1.8 billion. That risk has made officials cautious about reopening ports closer to affected areas.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller welcomed the limited resumption but said the prolonged closure had already disrupted producers and supply chains. Some cattle groups remain opposed, warning that renewed movements could increase infestation risks.
Sheinbaum said exports would begin through Sonora before expanding to Chihuahua, where she said five screwworm cases were recently reported. Mexico will continue working with U.S. authorities and its agricultural health agency, SENASICA, on surveillance and containment.
