The USA is opening the border with Mexico for the import of livestock amidst high beef prices.

The Trump administration has decided to reopen the border crossing in Douglas, Arizona, for the supply of Mexican livestock. This decision is driven by the authorities' desire to stabilize meat prices, which have reached record highs. The ban on the import of livestock was imposed in May 2025 due to the threat of the screwworm — a parasite whose larvae pose a lethal danger to livestock. According to the agency, the risks of the pest spreading in the border zones of the states of Sonora and Chihuahua have decreased, allowing for the resumption of imports subject to strict veterinary control of each individual animal.

Experts doubt that these measures will have a noticeable impact on product prices in stores in the near future. Derrell Peel, an agribusiness professor at Oklahoma State University, noted that it will take months for supplies to gradually return to traditional volumes. Previously, Mexico provided about 3% of US livestock supplies. At the same time, the national US cattle herd has been shrinking for five years and as of January 1 reached a 75-year historical low of 86.2 million head.

Rising prices have been influenced by drought, which forces farmers to reduce herds due to a shortage of pastures, as well as a long period of low livestock prices in previous decades. As a result of raw material shortages, processing companies such as Tyson Foods and JBS USA are forced to optimize production and close their plants in several states. Additionally, President Donald Trump announced the duty-free import of 331,000 tons of beef over a 90-day period.

According to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the price of a pound of ground beef rose by 57% from July 2021 to July 2026. US Senate Committee on Agriculture Chairman John Boozman emphasized that the resumption of imports is an important step to support American producers and strengthen the competitiveness of the industry. However, analysts agree that rebuilding the herd is a process that will take several years.