USDA announced Friday (7/24) night that starting August 24, the port of entry at Douglas, AZ, will be reopened for live cattle imports from Mexico. Every animal entering the U.S. will undergo a full USDA inspection to ensure it is free of any signs of New World screwworm (NWS).
“Secretary Rollins and her team at USDA have been fighting the spread of New World screwworm with an aggressive five-point plan and comprehensive response playbook. Their work–along with the diligence of cattle producers in border states–bought the United States valuable time to improve our domestic readiness. The whole-of-government response has put us in a strong position to begin safely and gradually reopening our southern border to cattle shipments,” said NCBA Chief Executive Officer Colin Woodall.
In the weeks following the initial reopening, USDA will assess the live import protocol and decide when to open additional ports moving from west to east. The next ports to be reopened after Douglas would be Santa Teresa, NM, and Columbus, NM.
According to USDA, while the rest of Mexico has not been able to stop the spread of NWS or legal and illegal movement, the states of Sonora and Chihuahua, which border Arizona and New Mexico, have maintained strong animal health infrastructure programs for many years. Currently, the closest active NWS case to the Douglas, AZ, port is about 325 miles.
This phased reopening is contingent on Mexico’s adherence to a joint action plan; therefore, USDA indicated the timeline will remain flexible. The opening of ports may be paused if the agency identifies increased risk in Sonora or Chihuahua via post-opening audits or other observations/information. For more information about USDA’s NWS response, click here.
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