July 24 (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture is lifting a ban on imports of Mexican cattle it imposed more than a year ago to keep out the flesh-eating livestock pest New World screwworm, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing an interview with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
The U.S. plans to resume importing Mexican cattle at the port of entry in Douglas, Arizona, in 30 days and eventually open two additional ports of entry in New Mexico, the report added.
The New World screwworm has moved north through Central America and was detected in June on Texas farms and in New Mexico.
The halt of imports helped drive U.S. beef prices to record highs, hurting consumers and putting pressure on President Donald Trump’s administration to lower costs.
Ports of entry in Arizona and New Mexico are farther away from screwworm infestations in Mexico, and resuming imports into those locations is considered less risky than restarting imports into Texas, according to traders.
The USDA and a spokesperson for Mexico’s president did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
(Reporting by Natalia Bueno Rebolledo in Mexico City and Tom Polansek in Chicago;)
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