Mexico lifts restrictions to aid screwworm eradication efforts

Mexico has agreed to lift restrictions on U.S. Department of Agriculture aircraft and waive customs duties on eradication equipment used in the fight against the deadly New World Screwworm, following a request from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins.

The move comes after Rollins sent a letter over the weekend to Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture Julio Antonio Berdegue Sacristan, urging swift action. With this agreement in place, livestock imports from Mexico will continue — though the USDA has warned that port closures could be reconsidered if the terms aren’t upheld.

“I am happy to share Mexico has continued to partner in emergency efforts to eradicate the New World Screwworm. This pest is a devastating threat to both of our economies, and I am pleased to work together with Mexico in good faith to protect the livelihoods of our ranchers and producers who would have been hurt by this pest,” Rollins said. “At USDA we are working every day to keep pests and disease from harming our agricultural industry. I thank our frontline USDA staff and their counterparts in Mexico for their work to ensure the screwworm does not harm our livestock industry.”

NWS is a parasitic fly that infests warm-blooded animals, leading to serious health complications and death. The pest was previously eradicated in the U.S. and Mexico but has reemerged in southern Mexico. A recent detection in Chiapas, near the Guatemalan border, has prompted intensified response efforts from both countries.

Over the weekend, Rollins also wrote to Ambassador Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, warning that delays in allowing full U.S. operational capacity could prompt the USDA to restrict imports of livestock from Mexico. “Every delay in granting full operational authority and eliminating customs barriers undermines our collective ability to carry out this emergency response,” she wrote.

Dr. Rosemary Sifford, Chief Veterinary Officer of the United States, noted the significance of the threat and said APHIS has already increased its work with Central American partners to contain the pest’s spread.

“With this latest find in Mexico, we will further intensify this work to protect American agriculture and reestablish the barrier in Central America,” she said.

»Related: Screwworm eradication lessons from a longtime veterinarian