USDA Threatens Mexico with Livestock Import Restrictions over Screwworm Response

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has issued a warning to Mexico that the U.S. will suspend imports of live animals, including cattle, bison, and equine, unless Mexico strengthens its response to the spread of the New World screwworm. Rollins' letter to her Mexican counterpart sets an April 30 deadline for Mexico to remove restrictions on USDA aircraft and waive customs duties on eradication equipment, both of which are hindering efforts to control the deadly pest. The New World screwworm, a flesh-eating fly, poses a severe threat to livestock, having previously been eradicated in the U.S. but now spreading northward from Central America into southern Mexico. U.S. eradication efforts involve aerial distribution of sterile flies, but Mexican aviation authorities have limited the operational days and imposed burdensome import duties on necessary supplies. The U.S. had already temporarily banned Mexican livestock imports following the pest’s discovery last year, lifting it only after new health protocols were established. Failure by Mexico to comply could result in significant economic consequences for Mexico's livestock trade with the U.S.