US reopens Arizona border to Mexican cattle to lower beef prices

US reopens Arizona border to Mexican cattle to lower beef prices

The United States reopened a border crossing in Arizona to livestock from Mexico on Monday, as part of a broader Trump administration effort to combat record-high beef prices. Cattle began crossing from Agua Prieta, Sonora, into Douglas, Arizona, around 3 p.m. Following hours of inspections by U.S. And Mexican authorities.

The move ends a hiatus on live cattle imports that began in May 2025. The Trump administration had previously described closing the border as essential to containing the spread of the New World screwworm, a parasite with flesh-eating larvae that can infest and kill cattle, sheep, goats, dogs, and humans. The larvae, which come from the Cochliomyia hominivorax fly, invade open wounds or mucous membranes to devour tissue.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced during a Monday morning news conference in Mexico City that the border in Sonora is open for livestock. Her administration is attempting to manage the outbreak by strengthening cattle tracing systems and dispersing sterile flies in border states. Mexico currently reports 1,937 active screwworm cases across 30 of its 32 states.

Strict Entry Protocols

The reopening is phased and subject to rigorous health screenings. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stated in July that the Arizona crossing was the starting point because the northern Mexican states of Chihuahua and Sonora possess stronger animal health programs than other regions of Mexico.

Under a new approved protocol, each animal must be declared free of the parasite. Authorities are using dogs to inspect livestock and have implemented the use of scanners and radio-frequency identification tags placed in the cows' ears. Volume is also being restricted; crossings into Arizona are limited to 700 head per day on Monday, increasing to 900 next week and 1,300 the week after.

U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman, a Republican from Arkansas, described the USDA's approach as careful, science-based, stating that restoring the trade is critical to supporting a competitive beef industry and strengthening the cattle supply.

Price Surges and Supply Shortages

The administration is under pressure to address soaring costs for consumers. On Friday, President Donald Trump announced he would allow up to 331,000 tons of imported ground beef into the U.S. Tariff-free over the next 90 days to be sold at below-market prices.

The U.S. Cattle herd is currently the smallest it has been in decades. According to the USDA, the herd dropped to 86.2 million head on Jan. 1, the lowest figure in 75 years. This shortage has left a gap of approximately 1.2 million cows.

Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that beef prices have risen significantly faster than overall food prices over the last five years. While general food prices rose about 25% in that period, the average price for a pound of ground beef jumped nearly 57% between July 2021 and July 2026, moving from $4.39 to $6.89. Uncooked steak reached a record $13.06 per pound in July, a 35% increase over five years.

David Anderson, a professor of agricultural economics at Texas A&M University, attributed the small national herd to a combination of low cattle prices over the last two decades and drought in cattle-producing regions, which forces ranchers to sell off livestock when grass fails to grow.

Economic Skepticism

Despite the reopening, some experts believe the impact on grocery store prices will be negligible in the short term. Derrell Peel, a professor of agribusiness at Oklahoma State University, noted that because the reopening is phased, it will take months for imports to return to traditional levels. Mexico typically provides about 3% of the U.S. Cattle supply, or 1.1 million head.

Peel suggested the administration has an incentive to appear active on the issue because beef is a high-profile, expensive product, but he does not expect a measurable impact on prices soon. He added that rebuilding the herd will take years since cows typically produce only one calf per year.

Other industry pressures are evident as beef processing plants operate below capacity. Tyson Foods recently announced plans to close plants in Utah and Illinois, following a November closure of a plant in Lexington, Nebraska. JBS USA also announced plans to close beef plants in Memphis and near Philadelphia, though it later indicated some Pennsylvania operations would continue to save 400 jobs.

The USDA intends to eventually reopen additional border crossings in Texas and New Mexico. The New World screwworm remains a threat to the $113 billion U.S. Cattle industry; the first Texas case since 1966 was reported on June 3, and more than 40 cases have since been confirmed in southeastern New Mexico and southern Texas.