The United States Department of Agriculture announced on Friday that it will begin reopening the border to Mexican cattle imports on August 24, more than a year after halting trade because of the spread of the New World screwworm in Mexico. The reopening will start at the Douglas, Arizona port of entry, which borders Agua Prieta in Sonora state, with subsequent openings planned for the Santa Teresa and Columbus crossings in New Mexico, though no dates have been set for those.

US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said in a statement that it is now safe to reopen the crossing through Arizona, calling the original closure a “tough but necessary action” to protect American livestock. Every animal entering the United States through these ports will undergo a full USDA inspection to ensure it is free of any signs of New World screwworm, according to the government statement. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she was notified of the measure in a letter from Rollins and described the decision as an example of “dialogue, cooperation, and collaboration with mutual respect between Mexico and the United States.”

The ban was imposed in May 2025 after the screwworm, a flesh-eating blowfly larva that attacks warm-blooded animals, was detected in Mexico. The outbreak was first reported on November 21, 2024 in Catazajá, Chiapas, and has since spread to 29 of Mexico’s 32 states, with 1,792 active cases as of July 23, according to official figures. Despite the ban, the parasite reappeared on US soil in early June 2026, with 42 cases recorded in Texas and southeastern New Mexico, according to US data.

Mexican officials welcomed the announcement. Ignacio Mier, president of the Senate’s Political Coordination Board, said the re-opening recognises the “sanitary discipline” of Mexican producers and strengthens regional economies. Sonora Governor Alfonso Durazo attributed the decision to President Sheinbaum’s efforts and noted that Sonora, which exported about 320,000 head of cattle annually before the ban, will be the first state to resume exports. The Mexican livestock sector estimates the suspension caused losses exceeding 51 billion pesos, according to reports cited by President Sheinbaum. Imports will be subject to a joint action plan, and the dates could change if inspections justify renewed closure.