Overview
- USDA officials are assessing a regional plan that would resume imports at lower-risk points, with the Agua Prieta crossing in Sonora viewed as the first candidate and later expansion to Texas and New Mexico under review.
- Analysts report the reopening under study could roll out over two to four weeks if risk indicators support it, though no formal decision has been announced.
- President Claudia Sheinbaum called a border reopening a possibility in the coming months, stressing it is not certain without more data and a signed binational agreement.
- Mexico reports 19,116 accumulated screwworm cases across 21 states, more than 3.9 million animals inspected, and 5,960 million sterile flies released, alongside a new sterile-fly plant under construction in Chiapas.
- The export halt has blocked about 1.56 million head and cost an estimated $1.872 billion in lost foreign exchange, with Sonoran ranchers reporting no live exports in 2026 and roughly 40% lower prices at home as the national cattle union urges continued vigilance near the US border.