Mexico's Sonora cattle crossing to US to reopen next week, union says

(Updates to include context on phased reopening, ​union quote and Mexican screwworm ​cases) By Cassandra Garrison

MEXICO CITY, ‌Sept 1 - ​The Agua Prieta cattle crossing from Sonora into the United States, which resumed trade last week ‌after a more than year-long screwworm-related closure, is expected to reopen on September 8 after exports were temporarily suspended for repairs, the Sonora Regional ‌Livestock Union said on Tuesday. The union said safety issues with a ‌cattle inspection chute used by U.S. Department of Agriculture personnel prompted the August 28 shutdown.

The crossing had resumed exports only days earlier as part of a phased U.S. reopening ⁠of ​Mexican livestock ⁠trade following a more than year-long ban over the flesh-eating New World screwworm. The USDA reopened ⁠the Douglas, Arizona port to cattle imports from Mexico on August 24 and ​has said it would next evaluate the reopening of ports in ⁠Santa Teresa and Columbus, New Mexico to cattle, bison and horses.

"This situation further underscores ⁠our ​efforts to obtain approval for the opening of the Nogales quarantine facility, which has all the infrastructure necessary to carry out the cattle ⁠reception and pre-inspection protocol," the union said in a statement. Mexico has confirmed ⁠more than ⁠40,600 cases of screwworm since the start of November 2024, according to government data. Sonora state has confirmed 21 ‌cases.