A flesh-eating parasite shut out Mexican cattle—now record beef prices are forcing Trump to reopen the gate

The U.S. government plans to reopen a border crossing in Arizona for Mexican cattle by Monday to help alleviate record-high beef prices, according to the Trump administration. The USDA believes the threat of the New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite, has diminished enough to allow the movement of cattle from Mexico at the Douglas, Arizona crossing. The U.S. aims to reopen other crossings in New Mexico and Texas in the future.

President Donald Trump announced on Friday that up to 331,000 tons (300,000 metric tons) of imported ground beef would be allowed into the U.S., tariff-free, to be sold at below-market prices over the next 90 days. Beef prices have been a concern for the President, who sees reopening the border as a way to lower costs for consumers and support the beef industry.

The Trump administration closed the border to cattle imports from Mexico in May 2025 as part of its response to the screwworm, which can infest and kill cattle. At the time, ranchers in the U.S. were already struggling to meet beef demand due to a declining herd size that has been shrinking for five years and is now the smallest in decades. The USDA plans to reopen the border in phases, which means it will take months for Mexican imports to return to traditional levels.

Mexican cattle imports traditionally provide about 3% of the U.S. cattle supply, with Mexico supplying 1.1 million head (about 3%) as of January. While economists doubt the move will have a significant impact on grocery store prices, the administration hopes it will demonstrate action against high beef prices. Beef prices have been rising rapidly, with a pound of ground beef increasing by nearly 57% from July 2021 to July 2026, jumping from $4.39 to $6.89.