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Mexico to resume cattle exports to United States as trade talks progress
President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that live‑cattle exports from Mexico to the United States will restart in the last weeks of August 2026, beginning at the Agua Prieta crossing in Sonora and later adding two points in Chihuahua. The United States Department of Agriculture confirmed that the Douglas port in Arizona will reopen on 24 August 2026, with additional southern ports (Santa Teresa and Columbus, NM) to follow once Mexico meets milestones in a joint action plan.
The reopening follows a series of high‑level meetings between Sheinbaum and U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer, part of the third round of negotiations to revise the US‑Mexico‑Canada Agreement (USMCA/T‑MEC). Sheinbaum emphasized that the agreement preserves zero‑tariff treatment for about 80 % of Mexican exports, despite a new 10 % Section 301 tariff the United States imposed on products not covered by the pact. No new tariff specific to Mexico was introduced.
To address the underlying pest issue that triggered the export suspension, the Mexican government will begin releasing sterile flies within two weeks to combat the gusano barrenador (New World screwworm). Officials from both sides praised the cooperative approach, noting that the measures restore market access for thousands of ranching families and reinforce regional supply‑chain integration.