Cattle Industry Prepares for Border Reopening

We’re in that awkward stretch between an announcement and the actual event when it comes to cattle trade along the U.S.-Mexico border.

USDA announced late last month that it plans a phased reopening of southern cattle ports, beginning with Douglas, Arizona, on August 24. The border has been closed to cattle crossings because of the northward spread of New World screwworm.

So, consider this a reminder from the California Cattlemen’s Association, which has been vigilant in following the issue.

Alongside the reopening plans, USDA recently announced a $25 million investment toward opening a new sterile fly dispersal facility in Arizona as part of the screwworm response.

And there are still plenty of questions about what comes next, from why Douglas was chosen as the first port to reopen and the animal health safeguards cattle will have to meet, to how feeders are preparing for the continued threat of New World screwworm.

The California Cattlemen’s Association digs into those questions and what the reopening could mean for California’s cattle industry on a recent episode of its Sorting Pen podcast: https://calcattlemen.org/2026/08/10/sorting-through-why-the-reopening-of-the-u-s-mexico-border-is-key-for-cattle-feeders/