Mexico and the U.S. have not yet reached an agreement to resume Mexican beef cattle exports to the U.S. as the outbreak of the New World Screwworm continues in Mexico. Agriculture Minister Julio Berdegue announced the update during a press conference with President Claudia Sheinbaum. Berdegue said he spoke with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins via video conference, where both sides reported progress but confirmed there is still no timeline for reopening the U.S. border to Mexican cattle.
The two agriculture leaders agreed to begin testing modular mobile facilities in Mexico designed to boost the production of sterile flies—a key component of the screwworm eradication program. If successful, these mobile units could increase sterile fly production by as many as 20 million flies per week, significantly strengthening efforts to contain the outbreak. The sterile flies are released to mate with wild screwworm flies, effectively reducing the pest population over time.
Since May, the U.S. government has maintained a near-total closure of its border to Mexican cattle imports to prevent the spread of the parasite. The New World Screwworm, a flesh-eating fly larva, poses a deadly threat to livestock by infesting open wounds and causing severe tissue damage. The outbreak has spread northward from Central America into Mexico, alarming livestock producers and trade officials across both countries.
Officials say the cooperation between U.S. and Mexican animal health authorities will be critical to restoring trade safely while ensuring the screwworm does not reenter U.S. herds.
