NEW YORK, NY, August 29, 2026 — The United States on Monday started reopening its border to Mexican cattle imports in stages. This comes after a yearlong ban to curb the New World screwworm. Imports will first begin to return through Arizona before expanding to other crossings in New Mexico.
Why the Ban Existed
The parasite produces painful, sometimes even lethal lesions in livestock and is moving northwards through Mexico. Its closure was among the factors behind U.S. cattle inventory hitting a record low of 75 years earlier this year. President Trump had described stopping the imports as “critical” to controlling the pest.
U.S. officials said efforts to contain the virus had gone well enough to allow for a limited reopening. The Agriculture Department said fears about northward spread had eased enough at that Arizona crossing. Officials said the reopening will proceed incrementally as long as things continue going in a positive direction.
The Situation in Mexico
Since July, the state of Chihuahua — where many cattle ranchers export livestock to nations from this point forward testing for the disease — has reported 183 confirmed cases of screwworms. Two cases have been announced in the neighbouring state of Sonora since it was first detected there last week. The two states have stepped up checks, livestock transfer controls and treatment campaigns.
Mexico’s agriculture minister said authorities would bolster the distribution of sterile flies in the two states. The sterile insect technique releases large numbers of sterilized flies to suppress wild population growth over time. According to Indar, Mexico has opened a sterile-fly production facility in Chiapas to back the effort.
Building US Capacity
The U.S. is building a sterile-fly facility of its own in Texas. The completion of that facility is projected to be by the spring of 2027. Officials said that domestic production will decrease dependence on factories outside of the country.
Last month, it was first identified in parts of Texas and New Mexico. The price difference has increased the focus on reopening from some cattle industry groups. Texas Announces New Import Requirements for Cattle Entering from Mexico.
Industry and Economic Impact
Other cattle groups warn that re-establishing imports too soon could lead to more infections spreading. Economists say that reopening is not an approach to drive record high beef prices lower anytime soon. Mexican industry estimates predict that up to 200,000 head of cattle could be sold for export this year.
Such volume is worth about $420 million, based on current U.S. trading prices. Longer term 2027 forecasts have exports peaking at 1.09 million head valued around $2.1 billion. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Portal posts regular updates on regulatory actions and pest control measures.
Farmers on both sides of the border say lessons learnt from last year’s last-minute closure explain their phased approach. All border crossings had been closed to livestock movement since October 26, but were reopened starting a week ago — so that officials can monitor livestock movements closely. The nature of additional expansion will be shaped by the course of case counts in northern Mexico.
Consumer advocates are monitoring the effect of reopening on beef prices at grocery stores. A broader supply chain issue is expected to make the difference than the reopening alone, say agricultural economists. Authorities on either side of the border say cooperation over containment will be vital in future.
