The Agriculture Department will resume cattle imports through Columbus, New Mexico, on Oct. 26 and plans to reopen Nogales, Arizona, on Nov. 30, continuing a phased restoration of livestock trade following restrictions imposed to contain New World screwworm.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that it will expand cattle imports from Mexico through two additional border crossings, continuing a gradual reopening of livestock trade after restrictions imposed in 2025 to prevent the spread of the flesh-eating New World screwworm parasite.
The department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed that cattle shipments will resume through Columbus, New Mexico, on Monday, Oct. 26. Nogales, Arizona, is scheduled to reopen Nov. 30, provided animal health conditions remain favorable and the facilities meet federal inspection requirements.
The decision follows the reopening of Douglas, Arizona, in August and Santa Teresa, New Mexico, in September. Together, the four crossings are intended to restore an important source of cattle for American ranchers and meat processors while maintaining safeguards against a parasite that has spread north through Mexico and into Texas.
According to the USDA’s October 20 announcement, additional reopenings will depend on inspections, disease surveillance and the continued effectiveness of preventive measures. The department emphasized that the timetable could change if animal health risks increase. <Cite ref=”turn132988search0″/>
The announcement also establishes a separate schedule for horses and other equines entering the United States.
Beginning Oct. 26, equine imports will resume through Santa Teresa under revised veterinary inspection and quarantine procedures. Animals must undergo examinations and treatment before export from Mexico, followed by a mandatory seven-day quarantine at a USDA-approved facility on the American side of the border.
Quarantine facilities on the Mexican side of the crossing will remain closed for now. Federal officials said the initial reopening will allow inspectors to evaluate the effectiveness of the revised procedures before considering additional ports and facilities.
The restrictions were originally imposed after New World screwworm, a parasitic fly capable of causing severe tissue damage, began spreading north from Central America into Mexico.
Female screwworm flies lay eggs in wounds or openings on warm-blooded animals. When the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on living tissue, unlike many other fly larvae that consume dead or decaying material.
Infestations can cause extensive wounds, infections and potentially fatal complications if untreated. Cattle, horses, wildlife, pets and humans can be affected, although livestock producers face particularly significant economic risks.
The parasite was largely eliminated from the United States decades ago through coordinated eradication efforts, but its return has prompted new surveillance programs and emergency measures.
Federal authorities suspended imports of live Mexican cattle, bison and horses in 2025 as the outbreak approached the southern border. The restrictions were intended to prevent infected animals from introducing additional screwworm flies into American livestock populations.
The temporary suspension disrupted a longstanding trade relationship between U.S. feedlots and Mexican cattle producers.
American beef producers typically import more than one million cattle from Mexico annually, representing an important supply of feeder animals for domestic finishing operations.
Mexican cattle account for approximately 5% of the animals processed by American meatpacking facilities in a typical year, making interruptions consequential for producers and processors already dealing with limited cattle inventories.
The United States has experienced historically tight cattle supplies following years of herd reductions associated with drought, elevated feed expenses and other production costs.
The import suspension added another constraint, particularly for feedlots that traditionally purchase Mexican cattle to raise to market weight.
The resulting supply pressures contributed to record beef prices during 2026.
According to federal retail price data, the average cost of ground beef approached $7 per pound in July, approximately 70% higher than in January 2021.
Although cattle imports represent only one factor affecting retail beef prices, restoring additional supplies could help feedlots and meat processors manage shortages.
The reopening is not expected to produce immediate reductions at grocery stores, however. Imported feeder cattle generally require additional time before reaching slaughter weight, and retail prices also reflect processing costs, transportation expenses and consumer demand.
The Reuters report on the latest reopening announcement identified the import restrictions as an additional source of pressure on cattle supplies and beef affordability. The agency also reported that USDA had confirmed 56 U.S. screwworm cases since June, with five remaining active as of Tuesday. <Cite ref=”turn132988news24″/>
The first domestic cases emerged in June when federal officials confirmed New World screwworm infections in young calves in Zavala County, Texas.
The initial detection involved a 3-week-old calf near the Mexican border. Two days later, investigators identified another infected calf approximately 5.6 miles away, raising concerns that the parasite had become established in the area.
Those cases marked the first domestic outbreak since an infestation involving endangered Key deer in Florida in 2016.
Subsequent detections prompted federal and Texas authorities to establish surveillance and response zones while increasing inspections of livestock and monitoring potential fly populations.
The developments demonstrated the risks associated with a parasite capable of spreading through animal movement and reproduction, particularly in areas with substantial livestock activity.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has made the screwworm response a priority for the department, emphasizing both the importance of protecting American livestock and the need to restore commercial trade when conditions permit.
In an Oct. 20 statement on X, Rollins said the administration had released more than 1.5 billion sterile screwworm flies as part of its eradication strategy.
She also reported that only five of the 56 confirmed U.S. cases remained active, citing the figures as evidence that surveillance, treatment and fly-control efforts were limiting the outbreak.
The sterile insect technique involves breeding large numbers of screwworm flies, sterilizing the males and releasing them into affected areas.
Female screwworm flies generally mate only once. When they mate with sterile males, the eggs they produce do not hatch, reducing the number of future flies and gradually suppressing the population.
The method was instrumental in eliminating New World screwworm from the United States and much of Central America during earlier eradication campaigns.
USDA is expanding production capacity to support renewed releases along the border and in regions of Mexico where infestations remain active.
The Moore Air Base facility in Texas is being developed to produce large quantities of sterile flies, with a projected weekly capacity of approximately 300 million.
Rollins said construction and development were progressing ahead of schedule and that the facility would substantially increase the country’s long-term ability to respond to the parasite.
Additional production facilities in Mexico also support the joint eradication effort.
In June, American and Mexican officials participated in the opening of a sterile-fly production plant in Chiapas, near Mexico’s southern border. The facility is intended to help suppress the parasite before it spreads farther north.
The plant forms part of a joint initiative involving approximately $51 million in investment, including $21 million supplied by USDA.
It is designed to produce around 100 million sterile flies each week, providing another source of insects for release in regions experiencing active transmission.
The October 15 Reuters account of the Chiapas facility also documented local complaints about odors from the operation, illustrating some of the practical difficulties associated with expanding large-scale insect production. <Cite ref=”turn132988news25″/>
USDA and Mexican agricultural authorities have coordinated border controls through a joint action plan requiring enhanced veterinary oversight, surveillance and treatment procedures.
The program includes inspections at approved gathering facilities in Mexico before cattle are transported to the border.
Animals intended for export must be examined for wounds and signs of screwworm infestation, with treatment and documentation requirements designed to reduce the risk of transporting infected livestock.
American inspectors conduct additional checks at the border before authorizing entry.
According to USDA’s current cattle import requirements, the procedures include official health certificates and documentation confirming compliance with screwworm inspection and treatment protocols. <Cite ref=”turn132988search2″/>
The phased reopening is intended to test those safeguards under actual trading conditions rather than restore all border crossings simultaneously.
Douglas, Arizona, became the first approved cattle crossing to reopen Aug. 24, following a USDA assessment of disease conditions and inspection capabilities.
Santa Teresa resumed cattle imports Sept. 24, providing additional capacity for cattle moving from Mexico into American livestock markets.
Columbus will become the third reopened crossing when operations resume Oct. 26.
Nogales is scheduled to follow Nov. 30, although federal officials have made that date conditional on continued progress in controlling the parasite and confirming operational readiness.
The department’s October 20 screwworm status update identifies the planned reopening sequence and states that decisions remain subject to animal health assessments. <Cite ref=”turn132988search1″/>
USDA said its approach balances economic considerations with the consequences of allowing the parasite to spread into American livestock populations.
An uncontrolled outbreak could create substantial expenses for ranchers, veterinary services and government agencies, including the costs of treating infected animals, restricting movement and conducting eradication operations.
The parasite’s ability to affect wildlife and other warm-blooded animals also complicates efforts to contain infestations once they become established.
Veterinary authorities therefore place particular emphasis on identifying infected animals early and preventing the movement of untreated livestock from affected regions.
The agency has also urged livestock owners to inspect animals regularly and report suspicious wounds or visible larvae.
Rapid reporting allows authorities to confirm infections, identify possible sources and deploy control measures before transmission expands.
The return of cattle imports through additional crossings will increase the number of animals passing through federal inspection facilities, requiring continued coordination among agricultural agencies, customs authorities and commercial transporters.
For exporters in Mexico, the reopening offers renewed access to American buyers after an extended period of trade disruption.
Mexican cattle producers have faced financial uncertainty because many operations depend on selling feeder animals to U.S. ranchers and feedlots.
Restrictions limited those sales and required producers to seek domestic buyers or alternative arrangements while awaiting permission to resume exports.
For American feedlots, additional crossings could provide greater flexibility in purchasing animals and reduce transportation expenses associated with routing shipments through a limited number of approved ports.
Meat processors may also benefit over time if the reopening helps expand the number of cattle available for slaughter.
However, the scale of the recovery will depend on how many animals Mexico can export under the new protocols and whether disease conditions permit the reopening schedule to continue.
The department has not provided a definitive projection for the number of cattle expected to enter through Columbus or Nogales after their scheduled reopenings.
Officials have also cautioned that operations could be interrupted again if surveillance identifies increased infection risks.
That possibility remains relevant because New World screwworm has continued circulating in parts of Mexico despite expanded containment efforts.
The USDA’s strategy relies on overlapping measures rather than a single form of prevention: sterile fly releases, animal treatment, veterinary inspections, movement controls and ongoing disease surveillance.
The planned reopening of the remaining ports will proceed only if those measures continue to provide sufficient protection.
The October announcement therefore represents another stage in restoring livestock commerce rather than the end of the screwworm response.
Columbus is scheduled to begin receiving cattle Oct. 26, while Santa Teresa will resume horse imports the same day under the seven-day quarantine requirement.
Nogales is expected to reopen for cattle Nov. 30 if federal inspectors determine that conditions remain suitable.
Additional decisions will depend on disease surveillance, the effectiveness of sterile fly releases and compliance with import protocols.
For cattle producers and consumers, the changes offer a potential path toward easing some of the supply constraints affecting the beef industry, while federal authorities continue working to prevent New World screwworm from becoming established across a wider area of the United States.
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