Mexico Calls on U.S. to Reopen Border to Cattle Exports

(MENAFN) Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed urgent hopes on Monday for the United States to resume cattle imports "as soon as possible, following a 15-day halt imposed on May 11 due to a screwworm outbreak.

“We are waiting for the border to open as soon as possible, but there is ongoing dialogue,” Sheinbaum stated during her daily press briefing.

The suspension, announced by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, aims to contain the screwworm infestation and evaluate the current risk.

Trade figures from Mexico’s National Customs Agency reveal a sharp drop in cattle exports during the first quarter of this year—202,000 head compared to 504,000 in the same period last year—directly linked to the screwworm outbreak.

This parasitic pest, native to South America, resurfaced in Panama in 2023 after decades of eradication. It then traveled over 3,700 kilometers before reaching Mexico’s southern border in November 2024, according to Mexican officials.

In response, northern Mexican states that supply live cattle to the U.S.—including Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, and Tamaulipas—have intensified epidemiological monitoring and introduced a rigorous 100 percent animal inspection protocol to prevent further spread of the disease.

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