AgDaily
Mexican cattle exports fell off sharply in 2025, sending shockwaves through the North American beef supply chain and raising urgent questions about the long-term sustainability of U.S. cattle feeding operations.
According to the Bank of Mexico, exports totaled $335 million in 2025, a 78.2 percent decline from the previous year following the suspension of live cattle imports in response to New World screwworm detections in southern Mexico.
While the policy was intended as a preventive biosecurity measure, its downstream consequences are becoming increasingly visible. Feedlot inventories are tightening, placements are falling, and some operations, particularly in the Southwest, are now facing closure.
At the same time, industry voices argue that a one-size-fits-all border shutdown ignores regional differences in animal health status and risks doing more economic harm than good.