The USDA announced it will begin a phased reopening of southern ports to cattle imports, starting with the Douglas, AZ, port of entry on Aug. 24. The decision follows more than a year of border restrictions imposed to keep New World screwworm (NWS) from spreading into the U.S. and is contingent on Mexico continuing to meet milestones outlined in the countries’ Joint Action Plan.
“Protecting the United States from NWS and pushing this pest out of Mexico and back to the Darien Gap is a top priority at USDA and has the full attention of the Trump Administration,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said. “The closure of the Southern ports of entry for the last year has been a tough but necessary action to control the spread of NWS in Mexico and protect the American livestock industry.”
USDA said Sonora and Chihuahua remain the lowest-risk Mexican states because of their established animal health infrastructure, inspection programs and distance from the areas where the outbreak remains concentrated.
The agency said every animal entering through reopened ports will undergo a full USDA inspection before being allowed into the U.S.
Ahead of the Aug. 24 reopening, Rollins visited the livestock inspection facilities at the Douglas port of entry on July 29 with members of Arizona’s congressional delegation and Arizona Director of Agriculture Paul Brierley.
During the visit, she announced USDA will invest $25 million to establish a sterile fly dispersal facility in Arizona to strengthen long-term efforts to combat NWS.
Rollins also received briefings from USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service personnel on the enhanced inspection procedures that will be in place when imports resume. Under the phased reopening plan, every animal will undergo multiple veterinary inspections, and any animal showing signs of NWS will be denied entry. USDA said imports could again be suspended if Mexico fails to meet agreed-upon benchmarks or if changing disease conditions increase the risk to the U.S. livestock industry.
Current active cases
USDA data show Mexico had 35,026 confirmed animal cases of NWS through July 27, including 1,784 active cases.
While most infections remain well south of the border, USDA continues to monitor the northern border states closely. Sonora, which borders Arizona and is the first state eligible to resume exports, has no reported animal cases. Chihuahua, which borders New Mexico and Texas, has reported only two cases, both active. Farther east, Coahuila has recorded 186 total cases, including 54 active cases; Nuevo León has 638 total cases with 79 active and Tamaulipas, bordering South Texas, has 1,198 total cases with 115 active.
USDA said the closest active case to the Douglas port was detected about 325 miles away on July 22, supporting its determination that imports from Sonora can resume under enhanced safeguards.
The U.S. continues to respond to isolated cases in Texas. As of July 26, USDA reported 42 domestic animal cases, all in Texas, including nine active and 33 inactive. No cases have been confirmed in wildlife or feral animals, and USDA has not detected any wild screwworm flies through its trapping program.
Industry mixed on reopening
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) said USDA’s measured approach balances protecting the U.S. cattle herd while restoring cross-border commerce.
“Secretary Rollins and her team at USDA have been fighting the spread of New World screwworm with an aggressive five-point plan and comprehensive response playbook,” said NCBA CEO Colin Woodall. “Their work—along with the diligence of cattle producers in border states—bought the United States valuable time to improve our domestic readiness.”
Woodall said reopening the Douglas port will help normalize business for cattle operations throughout the border states and southern Plains while allowing USDA to continue evaluating disease risks before reopening additional crossings.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller called reopening the border “the right move for ranchers and American consumers,” but said it should have occurred sooner.
Miller pointed to the recent binational New World Screwworm Summit involving officials from Texas, New Mexico and Mexico, saying participants agreed that science-based cooperation and proven biosecurity measures offer the best path forward.
Not everyone agreed with USDA’s decision.
Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, USA CEO Bill Bullard argued reopening the border before Mexico eradicates the pest could encourage additional movement of cattle from infected regions and expose the U.S. to unnecessary risk. Bullard said the border should remain closed until Mexico demonstrates the disease has again been contained in Central America.
The United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) said it was disappointed USDA is moving forward with reopening the southern border to Mexican cattle while questions remain about the risk of NWS to the U.S. herd.
USCA President Justin Tupper said efforts to lower beef prices should not come at the expense of animal health and urged USDA to base border decisions on science and risk assessments. The organization called for stricter import standards, greater transparency from both USDA and Mexico on disease data and risk benchmarks, and expanded domestic eradication efforts, including increased sterile fly production and additional resources for rapid response.
USCA thanked USDA personnel for their work combating the pest, but cautioned that reopening the border must be accompanied by aggressive monitoring, inspection and eradication efforts to protect U.S. cattle producers. — Charles Wallace, WLJ contributing editor
