44 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN October 2026 PEERS BORDER RE-OPENING TO AUGMENT FEEDER CATTLE AVAILABILITY JEFF STOLLE | NC VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING As I pen this piece over Labor Day weekend, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) reopening of the Mexican border to cattle imports via the Douglas, Ariz., port of entry has more or less been a false start due to cattle handling equipment issues at Mexico’s Agua Prieta shipping facility. That said, with crossings scheduled to resume at the Douglas port on Sept. 8, and USDA having expressed a goal of reopening two additional ports in New Mexico (Columbus and Santa Teresa) within the next 60 days, a review of this unique factor to the cattle cycle seems appropriate. Over the past 20 years, the United States has typically imported 1.1 to 1.3 million head of cattle per year from Mexico, with the vast majority (95+ percent) of those shipments being calves and lighter weight (700 pounds and less) yearling cattle destined either for grazing or direct placement in U.S. feedyards. According to USDA data, crossings in 2023 (the last calendar year that saw the border open for the entire year) totaled approximately 1.25 million head. Amid tightening U.S. feeder cattle availability due to the ongoing beef cow herd liquidation, 2024’s total imports from Mexico appeared set to eclipse 1.4 million head before the border closed in late November due to herd health concerns tied to the northern advance of New World screwworm in Mexico. In the decade leading up to 2024, crossings from Mexico tended to augment U.S. feeder cattle supplies by roughly 3.25 to 3.75 percent of the U.S. calf crop. Cattle have historically crossed into the United States from Mexico at 10 ports of entry: two in Arizona (Douglas and Nogales); two in New Mexico (Columbus and Santa Teresa); and six in Texas (Columbia Bridge, Del Rio, Eagle Pass, Hidalgo, Laredo and Presidio). However, the proportion of total volume among the 10 ports varies greatly. In 2023, most crossings (80+ percent of the yearly total) took place at the four ports in Arizona and New Mexico; while the six Texas ports accounted for less than 20 percent of the yearly volume. The port of entry at Santa Teresa (just west of El Paso, Texas) handled nearly 43 percent of 2023’s total volume of crossings alone. So, if USDA’s initial goal of openings at Douglas, plus the two ports in New Mexico by late October comes to pass, then a combination of three ports that handled more than 68 percent of 2023’s total volume could be online by Nov. 1. Not only is there a wide variability in volume of crossings among the 10 ports of entry, but there is also a fairly well-established seasonality of the ow of Mexican cattle imported to the United States. In general, increased numbers tend to cross from late fall through early spring, and then the volume tends to decrease through the warmer months. For the immediate ve calendar years leading up to the late 2024 cessation of crossings, the ve most active months in terms of volume were December, March, November, April and February, with August and September being the two lowest volume months of the year. Therefore, USDA’s timeline for re-establishing the cross-border ow is being initiated during a time of historically lighter shipment volumes. But, if the phased-in increase in volume comes to CONTINUED ON PAGE 46 Spreading It Around is Better By Design. West Point Design (402) 372-2408 2074 S Hwy 275 West Point NE 68788 www.westpointimp.com Horizontal Distributor designed by West Point Design Berma Distributor NEW FEATURE! Power Lift Kit CALL TODAY! Pull Type or Truck Mount Styles 16T to 34T Sizes Available!
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