REDFIELD, Iowa (DTN) -- USDA announced on Friday that the southern cattle ports from Mexico to the U.S. will open beginning Aug. 24, 2026, if Mexico adheres to the Joint Action Plan.

The opening will start at the Douglas, Arizona, port of entry, followed by steps to open ports of entry at Santa Teresa, New Mexico, and Columbus, New Mexico. These ports have been closed since May 2025 due to New World screwworm (NWS) within 370 miles of the border. All animals entering the U.S. through these ports will undergo a full USDA inspection to ensure they are free of any signs of NWS, according to a USDA news release.

The first case of NWS was detected in the U.S. on June 3, 2026, and according to the USDA Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service dashboard, since June 3, they have confirmed 41 cases of NWS in Texas and one in New Mexico.

"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 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."

INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORT DECISION

National Cattlemen's Beef Association CEO Colin Woodall said Rollins and the USDA team have been fighting the spread of NWS through the 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," Woodall said in a statement. "This decision will help normalize business for cattle operations throughout the border states and Southern Plains. We appreciate the continued work of USDA to support American producers and the U.S. cattle industry."

Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts said in a statement that her group is in support of a careful, phased reopening of the border that reflects both vigilance and confidence in response plans.

"Importing cattle from Mexico allows beef packers to better meet consumer demand given the tight supply of U.S. cattle. We will continue to support efforts to retain heifers and expand the herd as the best way to address the high price of beef for consumers," Potts said.

MEXICO MUST FOLLOW THE PLAN

Rollins said she is confident in the animal health infrastructure in Sonora and Chihuahua, Mexico, which border southwest Texas, as well as New Mexico's and Arizona's southern borders.

The phased reopening is contingent upon satisfactory progress on priority Action Plan milestones, according to USDA.

Sonora and Chihuahua are considered the lowest-risk Mexican states for NWS due to robust inspection programs and their distance from the heavily affected southern regions, which prompted USDA to reopen the Douglas, Arizona, port to livestock trade on Aug. 24, 2026, as the nearest active case is approximately 325 miles away. Following an evaluation of the Douglas reopening, APHIS will assess whether to reopen the ports in Santa Teresa and Columbus, New Mexico, to live cattle, bison and horses. The overall reopening timeline will remain flexible and may be paused or adjusted based on Mexico's progress on its Action Plan milestones or if post-opening audits reveal increased risk in Sonora or Chihuahua.

MARKETS CAN'T RESPOND UNTIL MONDAY

The Friday evening announcement came at a time when no reflection on the cattle markets could happen until Monday.

DTN Livestock Analyst ShayLe Stewart said: "Friday's announcement of the U.S. border reopening to Mexican cattle imports will come as mixed news to the industry. If you're a cattle feeder in the Southern part of the U.S., this news will likely come as a breath of fresh air, as it could allow for the cheaper acquisition of placements. But if you're a cattle producer in the Midwest or Northern Plains, this news could be burdensome if it pushes the futures market lower, and if it has a negative effect on feeder cattle prices."

Stewart expects a larger dynamic to be seen over time.

"The U.S. is soberly aware of the fact that Mexico has taken steps to process cattle on their side of the border to hopefully avoid the disruption of trade like what we saw over the last year. But it's yet to be seen how effective those plans will be, and obviously what long-term effect they'll have on the U.S. cattle and beef markets."

The feeder and fed cattle markets continue to show some interesting changes, which may or may not be affected by this news, Stewart said.

"While this may seem like the grand finale to the NWS story, the book is far from its ending chapter, as the cattle and beef markets have changed dramatically in the last two years -- with the reduction of domestic shackle space, the pressure seen in the feeding sector and, obviously, a U.S beef cow herd that remains at a record low," she concluded.

The USDA website with all information about NWS is https://www.aphis.usda.gov/….

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Editor's Note: For more DTN coverage of the New World screwworm threat and the response by the government and livestock industry, visit our Spotlight on New World Screwworm page at https://www.dtnpf.com/….

Jennifer Carrico can be reached at [email protected]

Follow her on social platform X @JennCattleGal

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