Trump administration to resume cattle imports on southern U.S. border amid parasite outbreak - Politico

The Trump administration announced plans to resume cattle imports along the southern U.S. border, reversing restrictions imposed amid a New World screwworm parasite outbreak.

The decision follows pressure on Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins from Republican lawmakers and the cattle industry, who urged reopening the border to help ease elevated beef prices.

Officials at the USDA framed protecting the United States from the New World screwworm and driving the pest out of Mexico as a top departmental priority receiving full attention from the administration.

The screwworm is a damaging parasite, and the USDA stated its goal is to push the pest back toward the Darien Gap, a region between Central and South America.

The move reflects a balance between disease-control concerns tied to the outbreak and economic pressures stemming from high cattle and beef prices in the U.S. market.