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USDA Will Reopen Douglas Port for Limited Mexican Cattle Imports on Aug. 24

The move aims to ease U.S. beef shortages through coordinated disease controls with Mexico.

A calf is held in a head gate during veterinary checks at a ranch that supplies livestock for export to the U.S., in Zamora, northern Mexico, Monday, July 28, 2025, as the U.S. border remains closed to Mexican cattle imports because of screwworm concerns. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Cattle and calves graze at a pasture near La Pryor, Texas, on June 6, 2026.
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Overview

  • The USDA announced a phased plan that starts by reopening the Douglas, Arizona, port to limited Mexican cattle on Aug. 24, 2026, with steps underway to consider Santa Teresa and Columbus in New Mexico afterward.
  • Every animal entering through the reopened ports will receive a full USDA inspection and the agency will conduct post-opening audits that can pause shipments if new risks are found.
  • Reopening is conditional on Mexico meeting milestones in a Joint Action Plan; USDA named Sonora and Chihuahua as the lowest-risk Mexican states because of their established animal-health programs.
  • U.S. detections have been limited but present: federal data cited 42 screwworm cases in the United States with nine currently active, and the outbreak in Mexico has been widespread since November 2024.
  • The import pause has cost Mexican producers millions and tightened U.S. cattle supplies, and officials say resuming vetted trade could ease supply pressures, lower prices for consumers, and help processors compete for animals.