U.S. to reopen largest port for Mexican cattle shipments

U.S. to reopen largest port for Mexican cattle shipments

New Mexico port is second to reopen after screwworm efforts

The Santa Teresa Port of Entry in New Mexico. (Paul Ratje/Bloomberg)

Key Takeaways:

- The USDA will reopen the Santa Teresa, N.M., cattle import port on Sept. 24, restoring the largest U.S. gateway for Mexican live cattle shipments.

- The move aims to ease a U.S. cattle shortage that has strained meatpackers and contributed to record beef prices after imports were halted over screwworm concerns.

- USDA officials plan to assess reopening additional ports while continuing screwworm controls as only two active U.S. cases remain and nearly 2,000 persist in Mexico.

The U.S. is reopening its biggest port for Mexican live cattle shipments, marking a significant step in the Trump administration’s efforts to ease the pressures of a domestic cattle shortage.

The port in Santa Teresa, N.M., is the second to reopen, after the U.S. in late 2024 stalled livestock shipments from Mexico in order to prevent the spread of the deadly New World screwworm. It’s far larger than the Arizona plant that resumed operations last month: nearly 500,000 cattle were shipped through the Santa Teres...