When Will U.S. Reopen Border to Mexico Cattle Re: Screwworm?
Some sources signal a possible phased-in reopening beginning January
President Donald Trump has made it clear he wants the U.S./Mexico border reopened to increase the supply of cattle, beef and to lower prices, according to White House contacts.
But USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins wants to make sure about the work Mexico is doing to control the New World Screwworm (NWS) and she likely wants progress on the U.S. plan for building a fly facility in Mexico.
White House contacts say analysis is being done on price/volume impacts of any border reopening.
The focus is currently on a phased reopening of border LIKELY beginning in January. Perhaps limited initially to Arizona, contacts signal, emphasizing no final decisions have been made.
| USDA’s June 30 Port Reopening Timeline (which was eventually pulled back): After each reopening USDA will evaluate to ensure no adverse effects arise Douglas, AZ – July 7Columbus, NM – July 14Santa Teresa, NM – July 21Del Rio, TX – August 18Laredo, TX – September 15 From the July 9 release closing the border after the case was found 370 miles south of the U.S. border,: “While USDA announced a risk-based phased port re-opening strategy for cattle, bison, and equine from Mexico beginning as early as July 7, 2025, this newly reported NWS case raises significant concern about the previously reported information shared by Mexican officials and severely compromises the outlined port reopening schedule of five ports from July 7-September 15. Therefore, in order to protect American livestock and our nation’s food supply, Secretary Rollins has ordered the closure of livestock trade through southern ports of entry effective immediately.” |
The U.S. took around 1 million head out of the pipeline, ultimately 1 billion-plus pounds- of beef due to NWS, which has contributed significantly to prices increasing.
Any phased reopening will eventually start bringing new supply back online with a commensurate price effect.
