- The main U.S.-Mexico livestock inspection entry point in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, will reopen on Thursday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture halted trade last year to contain the New World screwworm.
- Industry experts caution that the reopening will not quickly lower record-high beef prices because imported cattle take five to eight months to reach slaughter weight, while prolonged drought has reduced US cattle stocks to a 75-year low.
- Rising food costs continue to drive economic concerns ahead of the November midterm elections, where President Donald Trump has attempted to lower retail prices through low-tariff imports and an official probe into meatpackers.
- Under updated USDA safety protocols, daily cattle imports through Santa Teresa will be restricted to between 750 and 1,600 animals, down from historical peaks of roughly 3,000 animals per day.
- Agricultural officials express confidence in resuming trade due to enhanced port inspections, minimal domestic screwworm infestations, and ongoing USDA releases of sterile flies to suppress wild pest populations.
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