USDA Announces Phased Reopening of Southern Livestock Ports

July 24, 2026

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Friday a coordinated, phased reopening of southern cattle ports, contingent on Mexico's adherence to a Joint Action Plan aimed at preventing the spread of New World screwworm (NWS).

Beginning August 24, 2026, USDA will reopen the Douglas, Arizona, port of entry to cattle trade while simultaneously beginning operational steps necessary for the eventual reopening of the Santa Teresa and Columbus, New Mexico, ports.

According to USDA, every animal entering the United States through the reopened ports will undergo a full USDA inspection to ensure it is free of any signs of New World screwworm.

"Protecting the United States from NWS and pushing this pest out of Mexico and back to the Darien Gap is a top priority at USDA and has the full attention of the Trump Administration," said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins. "The closure of the Southern ports of entry for the last year has been a tough but necessary action to control the spread of NWS in Mexico and protect the American livestock industry. Thanks to the work across the federal government as well as state, local, and industry partners, it is now safe to reopen the Douglas, Arizona, port in 30 days to resume the hundreds year old movement of cattle."

USDA said Sonora and Chihuahua remain the lowest-risk Mexican states for New World screwworm because of their well-established inspection programs and their geographic distance from southern Mexico, where most cases are concentrated. The agency noted that while other parts of Mexico have struggled to stop the spread of the pest and illegal livestock movement, Sonora and Chihuahua have maintained strong animal health infrastructure and successful disease control programs.

USDA said the closest active New World screwworm case to the Douglas port was detected approximately 325 miles away on July 22, 2026.

Following an evaluation of the Douglas reopening and any changes in risk, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will consider reopening the Santa Teresa and Columbus ports to live cattle, bison, and horses.

The agency emphasized the reopening timeline will remain flexible and could be adjusted based on Mexico's progress in meeting Joint Action Plan milestones. USDA also noted port openings could be paused if increased risk is identified in Sonora or Chihuahua through post-opening audits or other observations.

DTN ANALYSIS OF CATTLE ON FEED REPORT

Friday's Cattle on Feed report will likely be viewed by and absorbed by the market as a neutral report, DTN Livestock Analyst ShayLe Stewart said following the report's release.

"From a 'logistical' point of view, someone could argue that the report should be found as bearish, given that the U.S. beef cow herd sits at a historic low. Yet, at the same time, we are slowly building up increased inventory in the feedlot sector as cattle are being fed to greater weights and as they're spending more time on feed.

"But traders seem to only look at one thing, and that's whether or not the pre-report data varies from the actual data released. And given that the pre-report estimates were nearly spot on, it's likely that Friday's COF report will be glanced at and given little afterthought, and traders and cattlemen alike will likely spend more time mulling over the Cattle inventory report.

"The only specific line item that is worth noting from the report is that all of the placement weight classes were lighter than compared to a year ago, except those weighing under 600 pounds, which was up 5,000 head than compared to the June 2025 data. This is likely a result of cow-calf producers needing to sell and market their calves earlier than in years past as a vast majority of cattlemen in the West continue to struggle with drought conditions."

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association welcomed USDA's announcement.

"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 CEO Colin Woodall.

Woodall added that the decision "will help normalize business for cattle operations throughout the border states and Southern Plains" and thanked USDA for its continued work supporting American cattle producers and the U.S. cattle industry.

Source: Western Ag Network, USDA and NCBA