Mexico's Sonora cattle crossing to US to reopen next week after repairs halt trade

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

The USDA reopened the Douglas, Arizona port to cattle imports from Mexico on August 24 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 agency has said ⁠it would next evaluate the reopening of ports in Santa Teresa and Columbus, New Mexico to cattle, bison ​and horses. The union said in its statement that the incident highlighted the need to open the ⁠Nogales quarantine facility, which would provide Sonora cattle producers with another export route into Arizona that "has all the infrastructure necessary ⁠to carry ​out the cattle reception and pre-inspection protocol."

The phased reopening began with exports of 700 head of cattle per day during the first week, according to Mexico's National Confederation of Livestock ⁠Organizations (CNOG). Before the Agua Prieta suspension, exports were expected to rise to 900 head per day in the ⁠second week and ⁠eventually reach about 1,300 head per day. Mexico has confirmed more than 40,600 cases of screwworm since November 2024, according to government data. Sonora state has confirmed ‌21 cases.