Mexico Loses Cattle Export to U.S. Over Flesh‑Eating Pest Menace

US Border Livestock Trade Paused as Screwworm Threat Looms

Key Points

• New World screwworm (NWS) larvae detected in Mexican cattle.
• US Secretary of Agriculture rolls back planned port reopening.
• Mexico reinstated cattle exports after joint mitigation efforts.
• Further progress needed in Veracruz and neighboring states.
• One million cattle exported to the US in 2024.

Background

In a statement on Wednesday, Secretary Brooke Rollins emphasized the US commitment to remain vigilant. The new NWS case prompted the pause of the south‑border port reopening, allowing the country to quarantine and target the lethal pest living in Mexico.

Trade Resumption

Following the May 11 halt, Mexico resumed cattle exports to the United States on Monday. The exports, which had been paused briefly earlier in 2024 for the same reason, were facilitated by collaborative efforts to tackle the parasitic screwworm.

Future Steps

Rollins underscored the necessity for continued focus in specific regions: “We must see additional progress combatting NWS in Veracruz and other nearby Mexican states in order to reopen livestock ports along the Southern border.”

Context

This standoff comes amid heightened tensions between the two neighbors over the Trump administration’s hardline immigration policy and trade tariffs.