The United States will begin reopening its border to cattle imports from Mexico next month, ending a restriction that had been in place for more than a year due to concerns over the spread of the New World screwworm parasite.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Friday that the first port to resume cattle trade will be at Douglas, Arizona, starting August 24. Additional crossings at Santa Teresa and Columbus in New Mexico are expected to reopen in phases after further assessments.
The import ban, introduced by the Trump administration in May 2025, covered live cattle, horses and bison entering the US from Mexico. Officials imposed the measure following an outbreak of the New World screwworm, a parasite whose larvae feed on the flesh of animals and can cause severe injury or death in livestock.
According to the USDA, all animals entering through the reopened ports will undergo comprehensive inspections to ensure they show no signs of infection before being allowed into the country.
Although the screwworm has long been present in parts of Mexico, it resurfaced in the United States earlier this year. Federal authorities say 42 cases have been recorded since the parasite was detected again in early June.
The USDA added that the nearest active case to the Douglas port is approximately 325 miles away and was identified earlier this week, a factor that supported the decision to begin easing the import restrictions.
US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins described the border closure as a necessary step to safeguard the country’s livestock industry from the highly destructive parasite.
The United States previously eliminated the New World screwworm in 1966 and successfully contained another outbreak in southern Florida in 2017. Officials say strict inspection measures will remain in place as cattle imports gradually resume.
