The U.S. is reopening an Arizona border crossing to cattle from Mexico, more than a year after livestock imports from the country were halted over concerns about the spread of the flesh-eating New World screwworm in South America.
According to the Associated Press, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said that it believes the spread of parasite has slowed enough to allow cattle to once again move through a crossing between Mexico's state of Sonora and Douglas, Arizona. The USDA also plans to restore other crossings to cattle in the state of Chihuahua bordering New Mexico and Texas, as part of a phased reopening announced in late July.
The Trump administration closed its southern border to cattle imports in May 2025, following reports of New World screwworm — which feed on livestock — in 30 of 32 states in Mexico. As of August 22, Mexico had 1,969 active reported cases of screwworm, less than half the number the country reported a year ago when the outbreak reached its peak. The USDA also identified northern states Sonora and Chihuahua as being at the lowest risk for the parasite, due to their "well-established inspection programs," and their distance from where the majority of cases have been concentrated, in Southern Mexico.
The timeline for reopening other border crossings to cattle will be flexible, the USDA said, and could be adjusted depending on how other states in Mexico continue to manage their own outbreaks. Reopenings in Sonora and Chihuahua could also be paused if screwworm cases in the regions begin to tick back up again.
This comes as the average price for uncooked beef in the U.S. rose by 10% year-over-year in July, as farmers have struggled to rebuild cattle herds that remain near historic lows. However, a phased resumption of cattle trading with Mexico isn't likely to meaningfully impact beef prices in the near term, Oklahoma State University professor of agribusiness Derrell Peel told the Associated Press, given that it could take months to return to normal as crossings gradually reopen.
