Mexico resumes limited cattle exports to US after screwworm pause, relieving ranchers
Summary
Mexico has restarted limited live cattle exports to the United States after a nearly two-year pause caused by a screwworm outbreak. Both countries are taking steps to control the pest while allowing some cattle trade to resume, which provides relief to Mexico’s ranchers and helps address cattle shortages in the U.S.Key Facts
- The U.S. stopped importing live cattle from Mexico for almost two years due to a screwworm outbreak.
- Screwworms are larvae from a fly that infect open wounds on warm-blooded animals and cause serious injuries.
- The pest arrived in Mexico in late 2024 and has spread to 30 of Mexico’s 32 states and parts of southern U.S. states like Texas and New Mexico.
- Cattle exports resumed on August 17, 2026, with strict inspections and safety measures like tagging cows with radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips.
- Daily cattle crossings into Arizona began at 700 head per day, set to increase gradually over the next two weeks.
- Both Mexican and U.S. authorities use dogs and scanners to check cattle for infection.
- Mexico continues efforts to control screwworms by releasing sterile flies and improving cattle tracking systems in border regions.
- The restrictions had caused economic harm to Mexican ranchers and contributed to the lowest U.S. cattle numbers in 75 years, raising beef prices.
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