Reopening Southern Ports to Cattle Likely Won’t Bolster U.S. Herd Numbers

Reopening southern ports to cattle likely won’t bolster U.S. herd numbers

Phased reopening of ports to Mexican beef cattle imports won’t do much to expand the herd in the United States, said James Mitchell, extension livestock economist for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. Following the reemergence of the New World Screwworm in Mexico, imports of cattle from Mexico were first halted in November 2024. Imports briefly resumed in 2025 from February to May but plans for reopening again in July 2025 were…

Reopening southern ports to cattle may not boost herd

There’s no backlog of Mexican cattle waiting at the border as they have been processed already.