The Gate Is Open: Mexican Feeder Cattle Return to U.S. Soil

Live cattle imports from Mexico resumed on Monday, Aug. 24, for the first time in over a year, starting with a heavily monitored, phased reopening at the Douglas, Ariz., port of entry. Day one saw 716 head of Sonoran feeder cattle presented on the Mexican side for inspection, with 692 head successfully passing the USDA’s rigorous screening protocols and crossing into the U.S. The remaining 24 head were rejected due to minor cuts, wounds and lesions — highlighting the zero-tolerance biosecurity firewalls erected to keep the devastating New World screwworm (NWS) out of the domestic U.S. herd.

According to Bernie Teran, Mexican cattle broker who was at the Douglas port Monday, the cattle averaged 724 lb. — ranging from 500 to 1,100 lb.

Teran, a broker with 35 years of experience, was at the Agua Prieta-Douglas crossing on Monday as the first cattle prepared to cross. He summarizes, “Everything went smoothly. The crossing and everything. The only thing on the American side was this is the first time they’re using the electronic ear tag where they have to scan them, and there was a lot of problems with that. It took forever to get paperwork done and the scanner wasn’t working correctly to start with. That’s the only hiccup.”

He adds, Monday evening 751 head were at the port for inspection to cross on Tuesday. Of those, 634 head passed Mexican inspection and were presented to USDA on Tuesday morning. USDA rejected 46 head, approving 588 head for crossing.

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins updated the media about the border re-opening and current numbers during a press conference Monday, Aug. 24.

“Today we are reopening the Douglas port in Arizona,” Rollins says. “We feel and believe, based on science and data, that we have taken every step to protect the American herd and the American consumer, and so now we can slowly begin to reopen the ports. In 30 days, we’ll open up one of the New Mexico ports, and then 30 days after that, the [second] New Mexico port. We don’t plan to open any Texas ports anytime soon, just because that is where the real activity is.”

(Source: USDA)

Inside the Firewall: USDA’s Four-Stage Inspection Process, Step by Step

From the ranch in Mexico to the U.S. holding pen, the import process is designed so that only healthy, verified and NWS-free cattle make the journey. For U.S. beef producers, this multi-layered defense system serves as a vital firewall, keeping foreign pests out and keeping domestic herds safe.

Here is a step-by-step breakdown of the rigorous four-stage inspection process required by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and Mexican authorities:

Step 1: Preparation at the Farm or Export Gathering Center
Before an animal ever sees the border, the groundwork for health and traceability is laid. This initial phase involves strict health testing and preventative treatments:

• Disease Testing: Cattle undergo a whole-herd tuberculosis test (if required) within 12 months, followed by an export-specific tuberculosis test within 60 days of movement.
• Spay Verification: Heifers must have official spay certification.
• Tick Treatment: Cattle receive a preventative tick treatment 7 to 14 days before their final USDA inspection.
• Screwworm Guard: An authorized Mexican veterinarian conducts an NWS examination and administers an APHIS-approved treatment 3 to 5 days before the USDA inspection.
• Health Certification: An authorized Mexican veterinarian conducts a full export exam within 30 days, paving the way for Mexico to issue an official export health certificate.
• The Zero-Tolerance Rule: If an animal has any open wounds or fails to comply with any part of this step, it is immediately removed from the export group.

Step 2: Pre-Export Inspection at the Pre-Export Facility
Once the initial tests and treatments are complete, the cattle move to a pre-export facility for another round of vetting.

• Within 24 hours of the scheduled USDA inspection, an official Mexican government veterinarian conducts a thorough pre-export exam and issues a fresh certification.
• Once again, strict standards apply: any animal found with open wounds or non-compliance is pulled from the export group immediately.

Step 3: The APHIS Inspection at the Border — Mexican Side
This is the final, highly secure checkpoint before the border. Conducted by USDA APHIS personnel at a dedicated facility on the Mexican side of the border, this stage relies on both human expertise and specialized biosecurity measures:

• Physical Exams & Scratch Tests: APHIS personnel perform hands-on physical exams, including a “tick scratch test” to feel for external parasites.
• K9 Units: Specialized detector dogs inspect the cattle to sniff out pests that human eyes might miss.
• Dip Vat Treatment: The cattle undergo a final tick treatment via a dip vat.
• ID Verification: Official identification is meticulously verified to ensure complete traceability.
• The Ultimate Gatekeeper: If APHIS inspectors find any wounds or non-compliance at this stage, the individual animal is officially refused entry into the United States.

Step 4: Entry into the U.S.
Only after passing every single test, treatment, exam and canine sniff are the cattle permitted to cross the port of entry. They move directly from the Mexican side of the port into secure U.S. holding pens, ready for distribution.

What Happens if Screwworm is Suspected?

The protocol for NWS is uncompromising. Any suspicion of screwworm triggers immediate biosecurity lockdowns:

• If NWS is suspected: Samples are taken, and the entire lot of cattle is held at the border until lab results come back.
• If NWS is confirmed: The entire lot of animals is rejected. Furthermore, the affected export facility is immediately shut down, thoroughly cleaned and disinfested, and slapped with a strict 90-day export ban.

Grassley: Yes to Live Cattle — But Zero Tolerance for Screwworm

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley on AgriTalk Monday says he supports restarting cattle trade with Mexico — but only if animal health safeguards hold. He warns any failure to contain screwworm would hit producers hard. He frames the recent moratorium on Mexican cattle as a necessary pause while officials evaluated disease risk — and says USDA now believes it’s safe to resume.

At the same time, Grassley stresses live cattle crossing the border play a different role than imported processed beef in the U.S. market and supply chain.

“The moratorium they had on keeping cattle out, and now they think it’s safe to bring them in,” he says adding it “helps keep our meat packing industry going, and it keeps consumer prices down.”

For producers watching the cattle market, Grassley draws a clear distinction between live imports that feed U.S. plants and processed beef that can more directly pressure prices.

“So it really doesn’t impact the marketplace like the importation of processed beef does.”

You can listen to Grassley’s discussion with Chip Flory on AgriTalk here:

Historical Data: What to Expect for Reopening Volumes

Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension livestock marketing specialist, says there is lots of speculation on both sides of the border about what to expect with the resumption of cattle trade between the U.S. and Mexico — how many cattle, what type and how fast.

“There are many questions about if and how much the world has changed since the border closed and whether the impacts are long-lasting or perhaps permanent,” he says. “We can’t be sure, but history is probably still the best guide on what to expect.”

Mexican cattle imports averaged 1.17 million head in the 20 years from 2004 to 2023 with a minimum of 702,600 head in 2008 to a maximum of 1.47 million head in 2012. Mexican cattle imports are highly correlated to drought conditions in Mexico, with severe drought causing unsustainable spikes in cattle imports which tend to average out. A five-year moving average of Mexican cattle imports only shows about 222,000 head variation across years.

“On average, 36% of annual Mexican cattle imports cross from September through December,” Peel says. “If the border was fully open, the average of 1.17 million head annually implies that roughly 421,000 head could cross by the end of the year.”

He predicts based on history, it might be possible for 90,000 to 100,000 head to cross at the Douglas port in the last four months of the year.

“If we suppose that Santa Teresa and Columbus, New Mexico open one month later, an additional 125,000 to 175,000 head could be imported by the end of the year,” Peel says. “It is unlikely that many, if any, spayed heifers will be imported initially, so the above estimates are likely too high. It will likely take several weeks for ports to return to full capacity. For the remainder of 2026, up to 250,000 head total might be possible but 150,000 head is probably a more reasonable estimate of Mexican cattle imports by the end of the year.”

The majority of Mexican cattle imports are feeder cattle and generally lightweight. Table 1 shows the breakdown of Mexican cattle imports in 2023. Feeder cattle weighing less than 700 lb. accounted for 98.7% of Mexican cattle imports, including 29% under 440 lb. Many of the lightweight feeders will be utilized in stocker programs before feedlot placement. Tight feeder cattle supplies in the U.S. may mean that more and lighter Mexican cattle may be placed immediately in feedlots. These cattle will be on feed for six to eight months with the first animals potentially available for slaughter by March 2027.

Table 1. Breakdown of 2023 Mexican Cattle Imports

Watch the Placement Numbers: How Mexican Cattle Will Move Markets and Futures

Chris Swift, a commodities broker and founder of Swift Trading Co., was a guest on AgriTalk Tuesday, Aug. 25.

Swift sees the Mexico border reopening as an expected development the market had already priced in, but one that will still matter as feeder flows ramp back up and show up in the data.

He notes cattle are crossing at roughly half their normal volume now and expects by October, it’ll be running smooth with cross-border movements climbing toward more typical levels.

According to Swift, more feeder cattle coming north from Mexico will:

• Lift on-feed numbers in key yards like in Amarillo, Texas.
• Show up in placement percentages on upcoming Cattle on Feed reports.
• Act as both a psychological and fundamental factor for the market as those reports print.

In his view, bigger placement numbers will carry at least as much psychological weight for the trade as they do fundamental impact, feeding into market perceptions around already tight cattle supplies and a cyclical reset in prices.

You can listen to Swift’s conversation with Flory on AgriTalk here:

Your Next Reads:

• Inside Day One at Douglas: How USDA and Arizona Will Clear Cattle and Block Screwworm at the Border
• The 1.1 Million Head Gap: Analyzing the Impact of the U.S.-Mexico Border Closure