The US Department of Agriculture is unlikely to resume Mexico cattle imports before holidays

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) late on Friday walked back comments that it could resume imports of Mexican cattle before year-end holidays, after it suspended shipments last month due to the discovery of New World screwworm in Mexico, reported Reuters. The agency also said it approved a second round of emergency funding to block the flesh-eating livestock pest from entering the United States. Lifting the import suspension would remove a barrier for the US agricultural sector, as farmers and consumers prepare for rising prices and supply-chain disruptions if President-elect Donald Trump follows through on plans to slap tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada. "Shipments will likely resume incrementally after the New Year, with full resumption of live animal movements sometime after that," Dr. Rosemary Sifford, USDA's chief veterinary officer, said in a statement. Jenny Lester Moffitt, USDA undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs, previously told Reuters that ...