A health problem in Mexico is slowing imports from the United States and adding fuel to the fire in the troubled market.

The United States government has decided to suspend imports of cattle, horses, and bison from Mexico, adding fuel to the fire in the troubled beef market. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced "the suspension of imports of live cattle, horses, and bison through U.S. ports of entry along the southern border due to the continued and rapid northward spread of the screwworm in Mexico on farms in Oaxaca and Veracruz." This measure is expected to further reduce the supply of beef for domestic consumption in the United States, which is experiencing a decline in its stock and beef production, as Mexico supplies that market with cattle for feedlots and cattle for slaughter. The United States is expected to import 2.2 million tons of beef this year, 30% more than two years ago. On the other hand, its beef stock is projected to reach 86.5 million head, 2 million fewer than in 2023. This suspension of trade would force US importers to pay more for the meat they buy in South America or ...